A Shieldmaiden's Strife
by Tari J. Deiter
Summary: It was 7 months after Max defeated Hacker. Cyberspace has never been more peaceful. But, where there is peace, violence is soon to follow. A shadow is coming across Cyberspace. While Max is trying to train a new Sword-Thane, a new ally suddenly appears. And this war could cost Max her sanity, and her life. Book #1 of the Like Souls Saga; in collab with Kawaii Stella.
1. The Mission

___Hello to all of my cyberchase fans. this is the final installment to the Cyberchase: Evil Within Saga. I guarantee there will be plenty of plot twists. Also, this is a bit of a cross-over as another tv show caught my eye. Huntik: Secrets and Seekers. But we will get to that eventually. All you have to know is a few elements from that show will appear in this story.  
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___If you haven't read Cyberchase: A Black Heart, A Tortured Soul, or A Warrior Reborn (in that order) yet, I would highly suggest doing so. Also, as this is a collaborative effort with my friend and fellow Cyberchase writer, Kawaii Stella, I would highly suggest reading her material as well because a few elements, as well as at least 1 character will appear in this story as well. The stories I would suggest checking out on her end is the Tales of Infinity series and Picking up the Broken Glass.  
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_I don't own Cyberchase_._ Max is mine._

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Chapter One  
The Mission

_**Previously on Cyberchase: A Warrior Reborn. . . .**_

_The fight was over._

_Dr. Marbles breathed a sigh of relief that whistled through his mustache. Now that Hacker was gone, he could locate the cure for Motherboard's virus in peace. But first, he wanted to enjoy this moment._

_Max was fast asleep in her own bed as a cyborg. Marbles had gotten up early and went to Max's room to see if it was all a dream. It wasn't. Max had beaten Hacker. His tyranny was over. Master Pi had kept his promise and turned Max back into herself using mysterious Shangri-La magic._

_For the first time in nine years, Marbles had enveloped Max in his arms. Her cyborg body fit in the crooks of his arms perfectly. And Max hugged him back._

_The two had been separated for a long time, now. Nine years, Max and Marbles had been apart. Every night, Marbles wondered if his daughter was okay or where she was now. Now, the nightmares of wondering were over. Max and Digit were going to stay at Control Central and watch over Motherboard until Marbles' return._

_Max lay on her belly, mouth open, with one arm across Digit's sleep-mode form. Marbles smiled. Then, with one finger, he reached out and touched a strand of unruly brown hair that lay over her nose. He remembered Max being alight sleeper and didn't dare touch her skin with his finger._

_His lips, on the other hand, was another story. He gently kissed her on the cheek, Max's eyelids twitched and she swallowed a string of drool creeping out of the corner of her mouth._

_Marbles gently patted her on the head._

"_I love you, Maxanne." He whispered._

"_I love you too, Dad." Max whispered back._

_Marbles grinned as he turned to leave her room. He grabbed a saddlebag from outside the door._

"_Take care of them, Motherboard. I shall return with a cure." He said._

"_Will do, Dr. Marbles. Be careful." Motherboard said._

"_I will." Marbles said._

_**And now, the conclusion. . . .**_

Dr. Matthias Marbles was up about an hour and a half before his daughter, Max, getting ready to head out again on a search for a cure for Motherboard's virus. For him it was odd to be up so early, time was of the essence for him. Usually, Max was up before him and was starting her morning routine of eating, meditating, and practicing her Hapkido in the Holodome. But Max seemed to be sleeping longer as of late and Marbles was beginning to wonder if something might have happened to her harddrive since changing back to a borg. Or, if there was something else.

He stood in the doorway of her bedroom, sipping at his coffee while he watched his seventeen-year-old daughter's still form. He wasn't big on drinking coffee, except in the wee hours of the morning when his attention was drawn away from his normal duties as Motherboard's Chief Engineer, as his attention was being drawn away from his normal duties today.

He remembered his father, Net, was a big coffee drinker. In fact, the borg practically lived on coffee, particularly in the later years of his life. He claimed the caffeine kept him going, but Marbles could help but wonder if maybe his father had drunk himself to an early grave as he tended to drain six cups of coffee throughout the day. Marbles only enjoyed one and that was only on the days when he needed to be up earlier than normal.

He took a sip of coffee and leaned against the doorway to his daughter's room. It had been months since Hacker's defeat at Max's hands and everyone in Cyberspace was now breathing a collective sigh of relief. Some had even stopped glancing over their shoulders for the ominous sign of the Grimm Wreaker; particularly those that had participated in dismantling the Wreaker for scrap. Others could only hope it was a dream . . . that Max _hadn't_ destroyed Hacker in a gargoyle-against-gargoyle match. Those that wished it hadn't happened also happened to be the ones looking over their shoulders for signs of the Wreaker.

It wasn't because they weren't thankful Max had done it, Cyberspace had never been more peaceful since she stood up and performed her Shield-maiden's duty to defend their world, merely that they wished it hadn't been the teen borg.

Cyber-wide media had a field day when the fight was all over and done with. Of course, neither Max nor Marbles, wanted to discuss what Max had done. When the report was sent out all over Cyberspace, Max was forced to lay low out of public eye until the whole thing blew over. Thankfully, laying low also gave Max the opportunity to rebuild her life. The life she had before Hacker came and took everything she ever cared about away from her.

But laying low was also a bit of an annoyance for Max. She didn't like doing nothing and ended up spending her days in the Holo-dome brushing up on her Hapkido skills or running daily repairs on Motherboard, the leader of Cyberspace. She did the repairs with the aid of her friend, Digit LeBoid, who was more than happy to have his friend back in her borg body. In all actuality, he was happy to have her back, period.

But, for Max, there was something missing from her life. She was a Shield-maiden now, and so far nobody's called her out to do her Shield-maidenly duties. Not that it mattered since she didn't have her trade-mark Quarter-stave with her anymore.

Marbles looked up at the empty spaces above her bed. Five years ago, Max had asked him to take a few items from her room and put them in a large bank box with her name on it. Marbles had stayed on the Sqwackpad with her while he packed a few things away. Among those things was a gem-encrusted golden chalice, a scroll written in Shangrinese, a rope, a shield, a cane, and a rod. The only things he left untouched were her clothes and the leather roll-up of eight throwing knives. He hadn't been able to locate her quarter-stave and later learned Hacker had stolen that the same night he stole Max and Digit. Max told him "It's probably already been burned in the incinerator since he broke it over my back."

Marbles sighed as he took one more sip of his coffee, then went to sit on the edge of Max's bed. She stirred, rubbed the back of her hand over her dark-brown eyes, and looked over her shoulder at her father.

"Dad? You're up awfully early. Something wrong?"

He smiled, setting the heavy paper cup on his knee as his other hand came out to touch his daughter's back. "Negative, Max. I just wanted to say so long. I am called away to Cybersite Eureka. My colleague, Professor Ephraim Archimedes, has informed me he may have found the anti-virus code for Motherboard. He would like me to look into it."

Max adjusted her position on her belly so her head was facing the other way. She lay her cheek on her pillow and her dark-brown eyes softly closed. "I'm glad to hear that. How long will you be gone?"

"Undecided for the time being." Marbles told her. "Have you any plans for today?"

"So far, I have one. Master Pi contacted me yesterday saying he has a possible candidate for the next Sword-Thane. Red's the only Thane around at the moment and I'm surprised they haven't picked one yet." Max said without opening her eyes.

"What is this Thane's name?" Marbles asked.

"He's not a Thane yet. In fact, Red isn't even sure how he feels about this kid. His name is Lok. Master Pi says he's showing promise in some areas of their art but not in others. He would like to see this kid wear the Sword-Thane's colors. Red has so far pushed him back into the other apprentice ranks."

"So, what will happen to Linus if he isn't selected?"

Max shrugged. "He'll probably just be a regular warrior. Red and Master Pi want my opinion since I'm the only other elite warrior there is."

Marbles patted her on the back. "Be sure you look Linus over carefully before you make any decisions."

"I will. I plan to walk with him and have a cb-to-cb1 chat. Otherwise, Red wants me to pick from the other candidates. If that's the case, I'll probably be on Shangri-La for about the whole day." Max said.

"How many other candidates are there?"

Another shrug. "Won't know until I get there?"

"How soon will you be there?"

"Right when I'm done with my morning routine."

"Which will start when?"

Max opened one eye and scowled at him in a "When I wake up" look.

"You've been sleeping longer lately." Marbles reminded her.

"I'm making up for the lost hours of sleep when I was a gargoyle." Max told him, her eye closing.

"Ha!" Digit said. He was already coming out of sleep-mode.

"bIjatih 'e' yImev, Didge." Max said in Shangrinese. Both Marbles and Digit knew enough of Shangrinese to know that meant "shut up". Or, better yet, "shut your mouth".

"Well, I was just saying that's funny coming from you. You used to sleep a lot aboard the Grimm Wreaker." Digit said. "And, what about the times when Hacker electrocuted you? Or when you lost portions of your left side. I hear you slept a lot then."

"Those times don't count! Those were near-death experiences that also included sedatives, not natural sleep. Besides, I spent about four years on the run – except for the few years spent on Radopolis – and I couldn't afford to sleep very long then."

"I see what you mean." Digit said. He sat up, stretched, and curled back up on his cushion. "You're still sleeping more than usual."

Max growled and Marbles laughed while patted her gently on the back. Then, as he tossed back one more sip of coffee, he noticed the screen on Max's Sqwackpad was glowing.

"It appears you have a transmission saved." Marbles told her.

Max sighed and sat up, taking the Sqwackpad off her bedside table while Marbles rose to make room for her. Rubbing her eyes, she scanned through the transmission records, surprised to see she had one missed call from last night and wondered why she hadn't seen it before.

_1 missed call. Receive now?_

Max hesitated. The last time she missed a call, it had a threatening message to it: _Seven days. _But that message had been sent by Hacker who was now deceased. Knowing this, she punched in 1 for yes and listened.

"_Hey Max. It's Slider. I was hoping I'd catch you before the end of the day but I guess you're busy. Guess that's what happens when you turn into a Shield-maiden now, huh? Anyway, I just wanted to say the project you gave me to do is finished now. I hope it's to your expectations. We can discuss price and stuff like that when you come get it. Call me."_

"He's done!" Max said, throwing up her hands, triumphantly in the air.

"Done? Done with what?" Marbles asked.

"Yeah, done with what, Max?" Digit asked.

Max glanced momentarily down at Digit, then smiled up at her father's anxious face. "I couple months ago, I asked Slider if he could make me a new quarter-stave. Something small, compact, and light. He's finished it and I can go pick it up."

"Couldn't you have just chosen another stave from the armory?" Marbles asked.

Max shook her head. "Already tried that. None of the staves fit me."

"I see. So you asked for a custom built one from your cousin." He reached out and ruffled Max's hair. "I can't say I blame you. Does Master Pi know about this?"

"Yeah. He said he was okay with it."

"As long as he's okay with it." Marbles said, taking one last pull at his coffee.

Max's dark-brown eyes suddenly fell to the paper cup in Marbles' hand, surprise registering on her rough features. "No . . . way! Are you drinking _coffee_?" She asked. "How long were you planning to be on Eureka?"

"As I said, undecided. Which is precisely why I required the caffeine." Marbles said. He dropped the cup in the incinerator by the door. "I suppose you plan to pay a visit to Radopolis before you head to Shangri-La."

It wasn't a question but Max treated it as one. She deleted the message and put the Sqwackpad back on her bedside table. Then, she stretched, got out of bed, and hunted for her clothes. It was getting close to her wake-up time anyway and after getting the message about her new stave, Max couldn't wait to get to Radopolis and try it out.

"Yep. Might as well let Master Pi and Red see it while I can."

"Just don't be late." Marbles warned her.

Max paused in the middle of checking a tunic to glance over her shoulder at her father. "Master said to take my time. They're in no hurry to name the next Thane."

"Even so -" Marbles began but Max interrupted him.

"Dad, if they were in a hurry, Master would have given me an actual time. He did not. He only said he wanted to see me in the afternoon. So, I can get going with my routine and visit Radopolis before I get to Shangri-La."

Marbles smiled at her. Max had turned out to be a most responsible young borg. Of course, she had always been responsible but her three years on Shangri-La had done a lot to build her character.

"Very well. Do you require a Cybercoop?" Marbles asked her.

"Yeah. One of the one-seaters or the two-seater would do, please." Max answered. "I promise to return it without a scratch."

Marbles had no doubt she would. He took a set of keys out of his pocket and laid them on her bedside table. "Two-seater Cybercoop it is. Be careful and I shall see you later."

"Bye, Dad." Max watched her father leave the room.

While Max started rooting around in her dresser looking for clothes, Digit headed out the room; stopping only to ask Max if there was anything she wanted for breakfast.

"Surprise me." Max said.

Digit nodded and left.

Left alone, Max murmured a command to the lights and they brightened just a tad so she could see. Lay on her bed was a blood-red tunic and matching trousers, a black belt that circled her waist twice, and a red sash baring the sign of a Shangrinese Shield-maiden.

Max looked at her gi, marveling at the seamless changes made to it by her mother, Ada Lovelace. Her old gi set didn't fit her and was returned to Shangri-La in exchange for a larger, more permanent set. Max received permission to make adjustments as she needed and she sent the gis to her mother with a few ideas in mind. Among those ideas was to have a pair of orange straps sewn into the shoulders. On one end of each strap was a small, rounded buckle and from these she could hang a bag or her roll-up of throwing knives.

But the straps weren't the only modifications Ada made. Ada had also ripped the sleeves off the tunics and sewed zippers joining the sleeves to the armholes – Max was known for favoring tank tops on occasion and Ada thought this would make a nice change. However, tank tops were not permissible on Shangri-La so Max was forced to wear sleeved tunics. Off Shangri-La, she could remove the sleeves if she happened to get too warm. This was precisely what the zippers were meant for.

Master Pi had seen the changes and while he didn't seem to approve, he didn't ask for the modifications to be removed. Max was not like the other warriors he was used to teaching, after all, and being a Shield-maiden gave Max a lot of room to her own appearance.

Max stripped out of her nightshirt and slipped on her tunic and trousers, tied her black belt around her waist, and gently laid the Shield-maiden's sash over her left shoulder. Then, she sat on the floor and began meditating.

When Max first started her meditation routine with the other warriors, she didn't have the ability to sit still for the required two hours. Max was still unable to remain motionless for two hours but the amount of time she took meditating did help to clear her mind of all unnecessary thoughts and emotions. When she was finished, she found a small shoulder-bag and opened a plastic tub containing inventions she had created not long ago – Max still didn't have money to her name, now, and had to hope Slider would accept a new piece of technology instead – and stuffed it in her bag. Then, after lacing it through the right shoulder-buckle, she rolled up her knives and passed the strap through her left shoulder-buckle, and headed down to breakfast with the coop keys in her pocket.

Digit made a small breakfast of bacon, egg and cheese biscuits. As usual, he overdid it and made a whole batch of biscuits. Max grabbed two and ate them, drowning them with a glass of chocolate milk. Then, after writing down a list of things for him to do today, Max kissed Digit on the forehead good-bye and left.

1

"Hey Max. It's about time you showed up." Slider said.

"Yeah, well, you have exactly seven minutes of my time." She said.

Max had only just arrived on Radopolis when she caught up with her cousin, Slider, practicing a few skateboarding tricks on a nearby half-pipe. The fact he was boarding at all was not surprising to Max.. It was the fact he was already up _and_ boarding that caught Max's attention. It was eight in the morning and Slider was not known for being an early-bird like Max was.

"Seven minutes, huh? Why? Are you on assignment or something?" Slider asked.

"You could say that." Max said. "Master Pi wants me on Shangri-La to check out the new recruits. One or two of them could be the next Sword-Thanes."

"Really? Cool! Who are they?" Slider said. Just as the words left his mouth, Slider knew Max couldn't answer him.

"Can't tell you, Sly. The warriors are all nameless to those outside their order."

"Mm . . . I hate that rule."

"I know."

Slider looked long at hard at his older cousin. She was dressed in her modified Shangrinese regalia: a small backpack hung from a strap over her right shoulder and her roll-up of throwing knives hung from a strap over her left. She looked ready for business, and ready to head off. Even her face was neatly composed in what Slider had come to know as the "warrior face". It was an expression that betrayed nothing. Particularly emotion. In her gargoyle form, Max had looked pensive when wearing this face. In cyborg form, it was just plain odd.

"Five minutes." Max reminded him.

"Geez, in a hurry to get somewhere, aren't we?" Slider teased. He picked up his board and carried it to the garage. Max followed him and waited.

"Okay." He finally said, laying out a tray on his bench. The tray was covered with a cloth and lump raided the middle. "It took me a while to get it right, but I think I got it. I just hope you approve of it, is all."

Max said nothing. She remained in full Shangrinese warrior mode; dark-brown eyes on the lump in the middle of the tray.

Slider swallowed and whipped the cloth off the tray.

"Ta-da!" He announced, proudly.

"It's so small." Max said.

On the tray was a round, metal, cylinder that was nothing like the quarter-stave she had once carried. The stave measured two inches in diameter and was only seven inches in length. Max began to wonder if trusting Slider with this now or not. She loved her cousin but felt she had taken her request for a stave that was "lighter and more compact" a little too seriously.

"It's in travel mode." Slider said. He gently lifted the rod and held it out to his cousin. "See, the middle of this rod has a heat sensor and pressure plate. Only a squeeze from you will activate it."

Max took the stave and squeezed it. Immediately, it lengthened in her hand to a full thirty-eight inch stave. She tested the balance, and the heft, then nodded in approval. She liked how it felt in her hand and, even though it looked too flimsy to be used in an actual fight, just by feeling it, Max knew the materials used were harder than tempered steel. Perhaps even as strong as the material used for the skeletal structure and outer shell of her prosthetic arm and leg when she was a gargoyle.

Max let out the breath she hadn't known she was holding. Slider _had_ pulled through for her. "Thanks, Sly. I knew I could rely on you." She said.

"Good. Now, as to the price . . ." Slider began.

Max squeezed the stave back into travel-size, reached over her right shoulder and tugged the backpack loose. She set it down on the bench and opened it, pulling from its depths a pair of gloves decked out in hardware and wires.

"These are for you. I don't have any snalfus to speak of so I was hoping this would have to do." She said.

"Jeepers creepers! They look awesome, whatever they are!" Sly said.

"These are called Hack-Tech gloves. It's major function is to enter or invade programs with only a thought. And, it works about the same as the tech in my left arm way back when I was a gargoyle."

Slider took the gloves and put them on. They were designed to fit the hands of any, average built borg. He flexed his fingers inside the gloves, getting a feel for the mesh fabric and how the wires across the back stretched and relaxed. The tips of each finger was topped with a black cap with a blue LED.

"Just a thought, huh?" He said.

"Yep. Dad and I were working on a full line of Hack-Tech projects. Those gloves are the first of their kind, straight off the conveyer belt. These are not prototypes, they're the real deal. I used them on Motherboard a couple days ago to test it out. So far, it's amazing."

"How does it work?"

"Well, the finger caps link with your system syntax via your internal circuitry. All you have to do is think what you want and the gloves do the rest. The LEDs also project holograms of what's going on inside the program you're hacking. You can even move through programs with a wave of a single finger, or type anything with a holographic keyboard."

"Cool! I don't usually take tech for jobs, but since it's you, I'll make an exception. . . . this time."

"Good. I have to go, now, but I'll see you soon." Max said, taking her bag and new stave.

As Max lifted off for Shangri-La, Slider waved good-bye and went into his garage to test out his new Tech.

0

To the outside world, Shangri-La was best known for its warriors, dragons, and its way of peace. Outsiders dearly enjoyed the serenity, solitude, and quiet. To Max, Shangri-La was much more than that. Indeed, it was a place of serenity and quiet, but it was also the place where her life as a Shield-maiden began.

Max was admitted into Shangri-La when she was three. There, she began training under a warrior named Jethro in the art of Hapkido, then was passed off to the resident Sword-Thane, the Red Warrior, for an extended training exercise. Max had decided she didn't want to be a Shield-maiden yet and left. Ten years later, she returned to Shangri-La and accepted the colors.

Max had expected to receive a mission of some kind. But she had only been a Shield-maiden going on eight months now and she hadn't expected to be called out for her opinion. She sucked in her pride and decided to laugh it out when she got there.

She parked on a flat patch of grass outside the city. Then, hopping out of the coop, she grabbed her roll-up of knives and her new stave and attached them to her back. Then, after beeping the coop locked, she made her way up the long staircase to the gates.

Thaddeous, one of the tall, quiet warriors was waiting on the parapet overlooking the gate. When he saw Max, he hailed her in Shangrinese and went down to let her in. The two greeted each other in Shangrinese, then Thaddeous took her to Master Pi and the Red Warrior.

"Welcome, Max." Pi said in Shangrinese, bowing his head in respect.

"Master." Max said, bowing in return. Then, she addressed Red. "Sword-Thane Red." She slipped into Shangrinese since warriors did not speak in plain tongue to one another.

"Shield-maiden Max." Red told her. "We are pleased you came."

"I was happy to come." Max said. She politely indicated they should start moving. "I just don't understand what the rush is to name a new Sword-Thane or why none was named before now. Aren't there usually four Thanes at a time?"

"There had been no reason before now to name a new Thane." Red said. "But we feel another Thane will help."

"Help with what?" Max asked.

The two masters looked at one another. Then, Master Pi answered Max's question.

"Dark times are coming, little one. A shadow is stretching across Cyberspace and there isn't enough people to protect it. Not enough warriors to monitor the world and not enough elite warriors to make critical decisions."

Max looked around. "Why not choose from the other nineteen warriors? Surely it would be easier than training a new, young apprentice."

"The other warriors have become accustomed to their lowly positions. All are equally as talented and well along in eons to learn something new." Said Red.

"I see." Max said. That made sense. It was always easier to learn new skills while still a child. But, there was something troubling her about what Master Pi said. "Master, you mentioned 'dark times'. What did you mean by that?"

"The days of peace are drawing to a close." Pi said. "We believe it may have been drawing to a clsoe since you destroyed Hieronymus. We fear our world will be in terrible danger if the shadow stretches farther and farther into Cyberspace."

"But . . . I thought I got rid of the evil when I destroyed Hieronymus. Now you're telling me I only made things _worse_ by destroying him!"

"Max." Red began. "Do not think we are being offensive. We do not mean to blame you."

"Indeed, we do not blame you. Cyberspace has never been more peaceful since you destroyed Hieronymus. But, there is always evil that comes to destroy peace." Pi said.

"Always?" Max asked.

"Always." Pi confirmed.

"So, what is this evil that is coming? What are they after?" Max asked.

"We do not know." Red told her. "We are merely being prepared by selecting a new Thane, as we should have long ago."

Max said nothing to this. Yes, they should have chosen long ago. Traditionally, there were supposed to be four Thanes and one Maiden protecting Cyberspace at a time. Before Max came and accepted the sash, Red was the only Elite warrior, but he seldom ever left Shangri-La except to mediate problems that required a more firm hand.

Now that she thought about it, she realized that besides herself and Red, there hadn't been many Elite warriors in a while. Even during Hacker's reign of terror there was only Red. For Pi and Red to feel the need to bring another Thane into being left Max feeling concerned. Just how bad was this evil?

"Who are the prospects?" Max asked.

They came to a shelter built into the side of the wall. Underneath the shelter were five boys who were sitting in a meditative position. All five were built basically the same as the other warriors, but were considerably much younger – Max placed their ages to be around seven to nine.

"These are Zeke, Lok, Nathan, Solomon, and Levi. They are the prospective Thanes." Red announced.

Max was impressed. Neither boy moved or gave any indication their names had been mentioned at all.

"Why so many?" Max asked.

"We like to have variety." Pi answered. "You may choose only one."

"Alright." Max said, straightening out her shoulders. "I will speak with them one at a time . . . with your permission of course."

"Granted. Who would you like to speak with first?" Pi said.

"Which is the most likely candidate?"

Red pointed. "Levi."

"He'll be first, then."

"As you wish." Pi said. He looked relieved Max was using her head. He touched the boy's raven head and motioned for him to go with Max.

Levi was tall and gangly. He wore the red gi of an apprentice and he carried a long sword over his shoulder. His narrow eyes regarded Max with no emotion. Max half-turned and extended her arm to Levi. The boy measured his paces and walked alongside the Shield-maiden.

Max took him far away from the others before speaking with him.

"Levi. Do you know who I am?" She asked him, continuing in the Shangrinese tongue, though her English-speaking nature rebelled against the continuation of the harsh words.

Levi's dark eyes met Max's, then darted to the sash over her shoulder, then back up at her eyes. "Maxanne Marbles, Shield-maiden of Shangri-La." Levi said.

"Correct." Max said. "Do you know why I am here?"

"You are here to choose the next Sword-Thane. Right, Shield-maiden Max?"

Max waved off his response. "There is no need to use such titles with me. Just call me Max."

"But . . . you are an Elite warrior-princess. To speak with you plainly would be an insult to you and everything you represent."

"I am not like other warriors. I was made in Control Central and I was meant to be a daughter and assistant to Dr. Matthias Marbles. The title of Shield-maiden was a dream of mine I had achieved through hard-work. The title is enough. I will not hold it over others. Therefore, call me by my name. Max. Nothing more."

Levi hesitated. "Very well." He said. "I will do as you say."

"Good." Max said.

She led him around Shangri-La's city, plying him with questions which he answered curtly and quickly. She learned Levi couldn't are less about his existence as either a plain warrior or as a Sword-Thane. He explained his one desire in life was to serve his leader and world to the best of his ability. Though, so far, his skill with a blade was impressive to say the least, judging by the brown belt around his waist. In a few short months or eons, he would be a black belt.

Truthfully, Max couldn't see Levi as being a plain warrior. Plain warriors did not have as many of the freedoms as a Maiden or Thane. However, since Levi did not seem to care about those freedoms, Max put him aside as an improbability.

Ne, she spoke with Zeke. Zeke was rambunctious and wild. He reminded Max a little of herself . . . on caffeine. He carried a scythe over one shoulder and when he tried to display his ability to use it, he tripped and fell because of his over-eagerness to please. She wrote him off as a flat-out no and called Nathan.

Nathan was a much more promising prospect. In many ways, he was like Levi, but unlike Levi, Nathan was a little more excited about the idea of being a Thane. The green belt around his waist and the lightning sticks hanging cross-wise over his back told Max he had a promising future ahead of him. She filed him away as a likely candidate and wondered why Levi had been viewed as most likely.

Solomon had less promise than Nathan and was only a tad more promising than Zeke and Levi. He carried a stave with him which had the ability to control the elements. But he had a huge problem with authority. Max immediately wrote Solomon off as a definite no when Solomon began using profanities not at all acceptable in either dialect.

Then, it was dear Lok's turn. Max spent a little more time with Linus than with the others. In one way, Lok was like herself though he struggled to be recognized for his talents while still living up to the expectations of others. But while Max had excelled at and most of what was placed in front of her, Lok was still struggling with that, too. In a way, Max could understand why Pi and Red were disagreeing over Lok's fate. He would benefit from being a Thane, but would Cyberspace benefit from having him?

Unfortunately, Max's musings were cut short when she heard a yell and a splash. She jumped up and ran off; bidding Lok to stay put. She ran as fast as her feet could carry her, straight to the reflection pond. There, she saw a young woman floundering around in the pond. Without thinking, Max allowed her lower-torso to change – legs turned white and grew scales, knees reversed directions, feet forming into paws, and a barbed tail thrust itself out of her backside.

She ran alongside the pond – shedding her new stave, roll-up of knives, and sash – until she was far enough ahead of the woman. Max lowered herself onto the bank, tail threading itself through a root and back claws digging into the turf; she reached out and grabbed the girl by the back of her shirt and hauled her up onto the bank.

"You know," She said to the coughing girl. "there's this wonderful thing called swimming. You should try it some time."

* * *

1Cb-to-cb – Circuit board to circuit board; cyborg equivalent to heart-to-heart


	2. The Choice

_This chapter_ _was a little rocky when I wrote it. but here it is._

_I don't own Cyberchase_._ Max is mine. Echo belongs exclusively to Kawaii Stella and her story Picking up the Broken Glass.  
_

* * *

Chapter Two  
The Choice

Professor Ephraim Archimedes was already up and at 'em by the time Marbles arrived on Cybersite Eureka. Not surprisingly to Marbles who knew his friend to be an early bird. Ephraim like to get up with the dawn so he could get busy with his numerous projects. Marbles used to wonder how Ephraim did it – going all day on only four to six hours of sleep. The answer was provided when Ephraim opened the door to his terminal holding an insulated mug.

Marbles halted in his tracks and eyed the mug. "Coffee?" He asked.

Ephraim smiled and nodded. "Of course, Matthias. It's the best way Ah know to stay awake throughout the day." He said, in his curious highland accent.

"I had a cup myself this morning." Marbles said. "My action seemed to have sent Max in for a whirl."

"Ah bet et did." Ephraim said, chuckling. He extended a hand to his friend and the two entered the terminal.

Ephraim went to a large computer terminal pushed up against the far wall and pushed the power button. Rows of lights lit up on tower and the LEDs brightened on the screen. Ephraim located a 4 gigabite flashdrive and inserted it into the USB port. While Ephraim prepared for business, Marbles took a look around.

The large cube – better known as the Archimedes Terminal – was sparsely furnished with only a few beds, a kitchenette and small dining room in one side of the room. The other side was lined with work stations, computers, a single workbench with tools, and boxes of scrap parts. A corkboard panel was nailed to the wall next to the work bench and orders of all kinds were held to the panel with colored pushpins, and the orders were all arranged around a calendar marked with deadlines. There didn't seem to be a single day open on Ephraim's calendar and Marbles was grateful his friend was able to squeeze him in on such a tight schedule.

A gentle snuffle brought Marbles' attention to the two creatures sleeping in the corner of the room. Marbles had not been able to identify what they were, but he knew they were Eukie and Reeka, Ephraim's two assistants. Marbles also knew that without Eukie and Reeka, Ephraim would never get anything done.

"How is yore wee gal, naow?" Ephraim asked.

Marbles knew he was talking about Max, who was anything but the "wee gal" Ephraim referred to her as. "She's fine. Everyone is fine. Lately she's been trying to stay out of the public eye until everything blows over." He answered, pleased his friend had bothered to ask about Max at all.

"Ah'm sure she is." Ephraim said.

"On the outside, she seems to be functioning well. However, I am certain she is bothered to the events that had taken place seven months ago." Marbles continued. He jammed his hands into his pockets as he watched Archimedes pull up the viral strain Marbles had sent him a while back. "I'm not certain what to do with her at this point."

Ephraim turned away from his screen and stared at his friend. "Dr. Marbles, Ah am certain Max is internally suffering for taking the life of another borg. In some ways, she may feel she got off too easily. She may feel she should have been punished for what she did.

"Cyberspace has never been more peaceful since she destroyed The Hacker. But, even a strong Shield-maiden like Max has limits, both internally as well as externally."

"But what do I do with her? She acts like what she's done doesn't bother her, but her eyes say different." Marbles said.

Archimedes touched his friend on the shoulder. "Ah suggest yoo listen to her. Max may not feel comfortable talking to yoo naow about what happened because she doesn't know herself how she feels about it. She destroyed her enemy and protected Cyberspace, but she cannae help but feel guilty about et all. Y'ken?"

Marbles nodded. "Oh yes, I understand. The problem is, I can't get her to talk to me about it. Nor will she speak with Master Pi, Ada, or even Motherboard about it. I fear she maybe withholding a lot of her pain. Pain like that will only fester until it's too late to do anything about it."

"Aye. Ah understand completely. Then, yore only option is to wait and see. She may not be ready to spake of it quite yet. But, at least let her know yore here when she needs yoo." Ephraim said.

Marbles touched his friend on the shoulder and gently squeezed it. He hadn't meant for Ephraim to take the place of a councilor, but the kindly borg had done so anyway. All because he cared for Max almost as much as Marbles, himself, did. Almost.

"Thank you, my friend." He said. "Now, you called me here to discuss the strain I sent you?" Marbles pointed out with no desire to sound rude.

"Aye, Matthias. Take a look." Ephraim said. He moved aside from his terminal to allow room for his friend to step in; waving a thin arm at the strings of codes spelled out on the screen.

Marbles took his place and stared at the information. His genius mind immediately comprehended what he was seeing and he thanked his colleague right away. Ephraim had not only scanned and examined the seemingly endless strain, but he had also already figured out the antidote. It was so simple, Marbles wondered why he hadn't thought of it before.

Just like venom or most kinds of poisons, the antidote must include a little bit of the venom and poison to be cured. What Ephraim did was locate the major portions of the virus and string them together with pieces of what was known as the "burn-out code".

"Is this ready to be inserted into Motherboard?" Marbles asked, pointing to the anti-viral code.

"Nay, Dr. Marbles. There is still quite a lot of work to be done on et before Ah can give et back to yoo."

"How soon will you have it ready?" Marbles asked him.

Ephraim consulted his calendar. "Ah can see about getting et to yoo in six weeks. Five, tops." He said.

"That long?"

"As yoo can see, this is still fragmented. Ah still have a lot of work yet to do before Ah can even consider giving et to Motherboard. In this state, the anti-viral code may do more harm than good."

"Yes. And in Motherboard's present state, that is simply something I cannot afford." Marbles said.

"Ah'm sorry, Dr. Marbles. Ah wish Ah could be of further help to yoo. Ah merely wanted to show yoo what Ah had so far." Ephraim told him, recognizing the look of defeat on Marbles face. "Yoo should be happy to know Ah've gotten this far."

"I am pleased." Marbles said, allowing his friend a smile. "Thank you, Professor. I shall await your call."

"Good-bye, Dr. Marbles. Ah'll see if I cannae get et to you sooner." Ephraim said, waving him off.

1

Max sat in a half-cross-legged, very relaxed position by the edge of the pool. Her breathing had returned to normal just as quickly, if not faster, than her damsel in distress' own breathing had. Max hadn't changed her lower-torso back into its normal shape yet for obvious reasons: the tail hurt when be retracted back into her posterior.

Max had to admit she was very curious to know why this kid was on Shangri-La and how she ended up in the pool to begin with. Thaddeus wouldn't have admitted her past the gates, that much was certain, as only non-Shangrinese could only enter the gates with Master Pi's verbal consent. She had every intention of questioning the youth soon.

The girl had finally relaxed on the grass, letting the sun warm her soaked skin and dry her off. Max, gently scooted closer to her and touched her on the shoulder. The girl recoiled from Max's fingers and glared at her. Max made a conscious effort not to glare back. Instead, she returned her hand back to her lap. She smiled, warmly in an attempt to let the girl know she was a friend.

"My name is Max. What's yours?" She asked.

"Echo." The girl said.

Max's smile waned for only a moment as she thought about the answer. "Echo." She softly repeated. The grin returned. "That's a really cool name. Unusual for a borg but still cool nonetheless."

The girl gave her a long, odd look; causing Max to rethink what she had already said.

"Are you a borg?"

The girl just stared at her. Max, realizing this was no better than talking to a brick wall, reached out and touched Echo on the shoulder again. Echo viciously shrugged it off and moved away from Max. But Max's contact with her had given her the answer she needed. Echo was not a borg. Her skin was very warm – not in the same way as the internal heaters a borg body possess even with the fans inside to keep the system syntax from overheating – but in a more natural way. Echo's body heat was kept at a consistent temperature. Max knew of only two existences in particular that possessed such qualities. Humans and gargoyles.

Ten years ago, Max had been kidnapped, tortured, and mutated by her one enemy, her "brother" Hieronymus Hacker. As a result of her ordeal with her enemy, Max was transformed into a gargoyle, a massive, flying reptile. In that state, Max's body temperature ran consistently higher than her borg form. Nearly a year ago, Max had been introduced to three children from earth. Humans, they called themselves. And in the brief moments of physical contact, Max had learned one more thing about them, they had a consistent body temperature which ran slightly lower than her own. Since Echo bore absolutely no resemblance to a gargoyle, Max had only one last option.

"You're a human." Max said, returning her hand to her lap.

Echo still said nothing. Not to be turned away from a quest, Max scooted a touch closer to Echo. She now only knew three things about her: she was human, her name was Echo, and she appeared to dislike physical contact. Knowing this, Max made a conscious effort not to touch her, but continued to press her for answers.

"So, uh, where do you come from?"

That time, Echo spoke. "Scotland on Earth." She said.

_Explains the accent._ Max thought. For some reason, thoughts of Professor Ephraim Archimedes and his own, rough, Highland accent came to mind and Max smiled. Archimedes continued to fascinate her even after seventeen years of being in his presence. Despite his accent, Max and her father had been able to understand Ephraim completely. Echo was no different.

"So, how did you get here?" Max asked, making every attempt to make a comfortable conversation with Echo.

"A portal brought me to Cyberspace." Echo answered.

Max thought this was interesting. Up until five years ago, portals between the real world and the cyberworld simply didn't happen. Then, three kids were sucked in and basically shanghaied into helping Motherboard. Max hadn't heard any complaints from the Cybersquad and had assumed they didn't mind being yanked out of their own lives to help with theirs. As Motherboard was currently the only one who could make and dispel portals, Max could only assume Motherboard knew of Echo's existence in Cyberspace.

Max stood up. "Then, perhaps we had best get you back to Control Central before you get in trouble here with Master Pi and the other warriors."

Echo said nothing. The stony expression on her face told Max the girl had no desire to go to Control Central. Max began to wonder why and she also wondered whether Echo's family – or even Motherboard – was concerned for her. Of course, Motherboard could send a portal to get Echo and send her back to Earth, but as Max had left her Sqwackpad inside the Cybercoop, their best option was to go back.

"If you're worried about it being out of my way, it's no problem. I actually live there. And I need to get back soon before Digit messes with something he should be." Max said. She reached out to take Echo by the arm.

Echo finally stood up, windmilling her hand out of Max's reach. "Look. Don't try to be friendly with me. I don't even know you. Just leave me alone."

"Max. H'ta fvau." _Max. Come here._

The young borg's head turned in the direction of Master Pi's voice. The mysterious leader of Shangri-La stood a good distance apart from them, accompanied by his ever-loyal Sword-Thane and the five apprentices. She gave the human girl one more look which said, "stay here. I'll be back" and went to stand with her master.

"Have you completed your task for the day?" Pi asked, firmly.

"Yes, Master. I have questioned each of the apprentices and I have now come to a conclusion." Max answered, bowing.

"What is your answer? Who would be the best option for Sword-Thane?" Red asked.

"Nathan and Lok would really be the best choices." Max said.

Red and Pi looked at each other, then back at Nathan and Lok. The other apprentices stepped away from the two, selected boys and waited with bated breath.

"Both?" Red asked. "Shield-maiden Max, we asked that you chose one."

"I understand that. However, if this evil is as bad as you say it is, we will need all the help we can get. I believe Nathan would make a fine Sword-Thane. He is tall, strong, and he appears to understand our ways better than the others. Also, he seems to be prepared. I'm sure he would make a fine Sword-Thane." Max said.

"I will agree with you on that matter, Shield-maiden Max. But I must question your judgment on Lok." Red said.

"Lok is no different than me in many respects. He wants nothing more than to please you. I feel he would benefit greatly from becoming a Sword-Thane."

This time, Pi spoke. "He would, indeed. However, given the option to choose two Sword-Thanes, why did you not chose one of the others instead of Lok?"

Max told them about her experiences with Levi, Zeke, and Solomon. She explained that although they may, too, benefit from training to become Sword-Thanes, there was still a lot of work ahead of them before they would even be ready. Lok and Nathan had the best chances at becoming Sword-Thanes than the others.

"Unfortunately Max, we must ask for you to choose one of these two to move up in the ranks." Pi said.

"I can't choose, Master. I'm sorry, I just can't. Both are equally the best choice. And we will need both of them if we have any chance at defeating the darkness that is coming."

"We can only afford to train one."

"Then let me train the other."

Max's request sent both her teachers into a tailspin. She knew she was asking a lot to be given the power to teach the next generation of Sword-Thanes. But was it really too much to ask that both Nathan and Lok be given the go-ahead to learn the way of the Elite warriors?

"Max, you have only been a Shield-maiden for eight months. It is far too soon for you to be accepting apprentices." Pi said. "Therefore, you must choose Lok or Nathan."

"Master, you said so yourself I wasn't meant to do a lot of things yet I did them. Is it not, also, the duty of an Elite warrior to pass along the knowledge of the previous generation to the next one?" She waited for a nod from Pi and Red before continuing. "Then grant me this small power. I have asked so little of you since learning your ways and I had learned it. I earned the sash, too. Or is this whole thing a publicity stunt for you?"

Max knew she had gone too far when she declared it all to be a publicity stunt. Master Pi's eyes darkened and she took the smallest of steps back.

"It was never our intention to make your title a publicity stunt, Max. For you to declare it as such is a testimony to how little you feel about us and about yourself. I did not have to give you the sash that day, yet I did. I did it because I felt you needed it to accomplish your goal. You seemed so certain you couldn't defeat your enemy without it. Retract what you have said and I shall consider what you are asking."

"My apologies, Master." Max said. Sometimes her stubbornness got the best of her. She should have known better.

"You are forgiven for the moment. Now that you have held up your end of the deal, I shall hold up mine. You will hear my answer in two days time. Now, if I was to grant you your desire to train one of these two, which one would you take under your wing?" Pi said.

"Lok."

Pi smiled. "I figured as much." He inclined his head. "You are dismissed, Max. You will hear from me in two days. Do not get your hopes up as you will not know until then what my answer is."

"I understand, Master." Max said.

As the seven Shangrinese drifted away, Max noticed that only Lok did not have a weapon on his back, unlike the others. This struck her as odd. By this time, Lok should have chosen a weapon from the armory and, by choosing his weapon, he would have learned one of the five forms of Shangrinese war arts.

"Master. I have one question." She said.

"Yes, Max." Pi said, turning.

She told him her observation and asked why Lok hadn't chosen a weapon yet. Pi stared at her a moment and uttered one word.

"Gal'an."

"Gal'an? What does that mean, Master?" She asked.

Pi didn't answer and, instead, drifted away. Max was left in the empty field to contemplate this new word. Yet, to her, it wasn't exactly new. She knew she had heard it before but couldn't put her finger on where. But she knew it had to be some clue as to Lok's identity.


	3. Visitor from Another World

_Chapter Three. I like the ending and I just had to add it in. BTW, the design for the prison of Solitarium is based off the Mansfield Reformatory. The word "cowflops" is a family name for no-bake cookies and was coined by my dad when he was a kid.  
_

_I don't own Cyberchase_._ Max is mine. Echo belongs exclusively to Kawaii Stella and her story Picking up the Broken Glass. I also don't own Devil Went Down to Georgia nor do I own Starstruck. These songs belong to Charlie Daniel's Band and Lady Gaga with Flo Rida.  
_

* * *

Chapter Three  
Visitor from Another World

It had taken a lot of effort on Max's part to get Echo to come back to Control Central with her. She had to make a lot of promises – such as "I won't hurt you" and "I'll let you drive the Cybercoop" - before Echo even considered coming back with her. What Max said next sealed the deal.

"Look, if you don't come back with me, you'll be forced to solve a very _very_ difficult puzzle or be stuck here for all eternity."

While all eternity may not have sounded so bad for Max, she didn't quite know how Echo felt about it and, quite frankly, didn't care too much. She had to solve the puzzle too before she was given her brown belt and knew from experience is was quite difficult. Max had not been granted Sqwackpad privileges to call home without solving the puzzle first. She had also been put up against Garrett, who was known for being a tremendous puzzle-solver and was not making it easy on Max. Eventually, Max had figured out the game by working backwards. She knew that once she got down to five pieces (which were actually dragons – four green and one red) the game was already lost. With that in mind, she turned the tables on Garrett and won the game.

After Max gathered the things she shed and reversed the transformation on her lower-torso, she and Echo made their way out of the gates and down to Max's coop. For a moment, Echo stalled on the stairs and gazed at the two-seater coop on the grass. Her eyes darted around as though looking for something. Max waited a moment, then reached out and gently tugged on Echo's hand; an encouraging smile lighting up her rough features. Echo pulled away from Max, stuffed her hands in her pockets to discourage future touching, and made her way down the stairs toward the coop. There, Max handed Echo the key, dumped her weapons and damp sleeves – now unzipped from her tunic – on the floor, and angled into the passenger seat. Without pause, Echo slipped into the driver seat, jammed the key in the ignition, and turned it over. For a moment, the coop buzzed and complained until Max reached over and gave a hefty shot to the dashboard. Immediately the engine caught and they were away.

"Damn piece of shit. I thought Dad fixed that." Max said, sending another smile to Echo.

"Your dad?" Echo asked.

"Yep. He's a genius."

Echo didn't respond to that. And Max was forced to find another icebreaker. "So uh, do you know the way to Control Central?"

Echo didn't answer right away, then she shook her head.

"Okay." Max said. "Once you're out of the atmosphere, hang a left, and drive straight for ten minutes. You can't miss it."

"I know. It's huge." Echo said.

Max relaxed in the seat with her bare arms crossed over her chest. She laid her head back and looked up at the bubble-like cabin hood above her head. Max sighed, her thoughts deep on the word Gal'an. She felt it was a word of importance which should be in her Shangrinese vocabulary but for some reason she couldn't remember why it wasn't.

She closed her eyes in an attempt to visualize the word and its components. She knew from experience Shangrinese words were broken up with apostrophes to heavily indicate the syllables. From the way Master Pi said it, it sounded like it was pronounced Gal-on. The short o sound clearly indicated there should be two a's.

Max spelled it out in her mind, silently pronouncing its components until she found the right letters to put in place. But, even despite that, Max still had no clue as to what Gal'an was supposed to mean, so she made a mental note to pay a visit to the Holo-dome at home to ask questions. The Holo-dome was connected to the largest library in all of Cyberspace, the Cybrary. Surely, the Cybrary's database would have the answers.

What amazed Max most about the Cybrary's resources was that it had an entire section roped off for Shangrinese artifacts, people, history, languages, and fighting arts. It was because of that entire section that Max managed to program the Holo-dome to help her with her Hapkido while she was away from Shangri-La. Which reminded her that she needed to brush up on her knife-throwing skills right away as she had been neglecting to do so since returning to her cyborg body.

She sighed. If only Red and Jethro – the two warriors who were majorly responsible for teaching her Hapkido – could see how she was using her art now, they would be appalled at how out of practice she really was.

"Hey. Where's the landing bay?" Echo asked, drawing Max's thoughts away from her rusty Hapkido techniques and back to the present.

Max reached across to the keys, detached something from the chain, and remoted the bay door open. "There it is." Max said, gesturing with a small wave of her hand. "Now, ease it into the bay. Dad will have a fit if there's even a scratch on this thing."

Echo ignored this and carefully guided the coop into the bay and set it down.

"See?" Max said. "That wasn't so hard now, was it?"

Echo shook her head. She reached over and pushed a button which raised the hood and allowed them to leave. Max gathered her stuff: threading the roll-up of knives on her left shoulder, the stave on her right, bag in her hand, and the sleeves stuffed in her belt. She led the way up the stairs to the main section of Control Central, stopping only when she heard music coming from the kitchen. It sounded like a fiddle, drums, and a piano.

Max grinned and winked at Echo. "Watch this." She said.

Echo shot Max a "what now?" look coupled with the smallest of smiles. Max flung the door open and jumped right in the middle of the small, industrial-sized kitchen; launching right into the Charlie Daniels Band song in perfect synchronization to the words.

"Devil went down to Georgia, he was looking for a soul to steal. He was in a bind, 'cos he was way behind, he was willing to make a deal. When he came across this young man sawing on a fiddle and playing it hot. The Devil jumped up on a hickory stump and said, **'Boy let me tell you what. I guess you didn't know it but I'm a fiddle-player too. And if you care to take a dare, I'll make a bet with you. You play pretty good fiddle boy, but give the Devil his due. I bet a fiddle of gold against your soul because I think I'm better than you'**."

Digit was standing on a stool wearing an apron that might have been white at one time but was now stained with different colored foods. He spun on his stool and started on his part. "The boy said **'My name's Johnny and it might be a sin, but I'll take your bet. You're gonna regret 'cause I'm the best that's ever been'.**Johnny rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard. 'Cause hell's broke loose in Georgia and the Devil deals the cards. If you win you get this shiny fiddle made of gold. But if you lose the Devil gets your soul."

Max seized a ladle and a spoon from the counter, tucked the wide end of the ladle under her chin and sawed away at it like it was a fiddle. Meanwhile, Digit danced on the top of his stool and clapped his wings together. When the musical interlude was done, Max put her "fiddle" down, and started on her part of the song.

"The Devil opened up his case and said **'I'll start this show'.**And fire flew from his fingertips as he rosined up his bow. And he pulled the bow across the strings and it made an evil hiss. Then a band of demons joined in and it sounded something like this."

Another musical interlude followed which included a rather impressive display of Digit pulling on his apron strings like a cello and Max scraping at the ladle with her spoon. Then, it was Digit's turn.

"When the Devil finished, Johnny said **'Well you're pretty good, ol' son. But sit down in that chair right there and let me show you how it's done'.**Fire on the mountain, run boys run. Devil's in the house of the rising sun. Chicken in the bread pan, now they're picking out dough. Granny does your dog bite, no child no."

Another musical interlude. Then, Max went to work with her part.

"The Devil bowed his head because he knew that he'd been beat. And he laid that golden fiddle on the ground at Johnny's feet."

Digit interrupted her. "Johnny said **'Devil, just come on back if you ever want to try again. 'Cause I told you once, you son of a gun, I'm the best that's ever been'.** He played Fire on the mountain, run boys run. Devil's in the house of the rising sun. Chicken in the bread pan, now they're picking out dough. Granny does your dog bite, no child no."

There was one more musical interlude and the two danced around; Digit playing his "cello" and Max playing her "fiddle". Then, when the song was finished, they took a bow and Max collapsed on top of Digit in a firm, friendly hug.

Echo laughed. "Wow. Just . . . wow." She said. She struggled to keep a straight face. "Okay then."

"What? Max said. "Haven't you ever seen friends sing the same song only alternate verses?"

"Can't say I have." Echo said.

Digit slung a doughy wing over Max's shoulder and the young borg bent her knees slightly so the cyboid didn't have to stretch. "That's nothing. You should see us do 'Starstruck' by Lady Gaga."

"Wait, you two have a dance routine to Starstruck?" Echo asked.

"Yeah, but it's not complete." Max said. "We're still in the planning and practice stages. Plus, we can't really agree on how to do it. I want to incorporate acrobatics and Digit doesn't think that'll fit."

She spotted a sheet of wax paper on the counter and realized Digit had been pretty busy these last few hours. On the wax paper were small, bite-sized dollops of little, chocolate and oatmeal cookies. Max grinned. It wasn't very often Digit made cowflops (their name for no-bake cookies) but they were exceptionally good cookies. She poked at a cookie with the edge of her spoon and, when the cookie didn't appear to be wet, she scooped it off the paper and stuffed it into her mouth."It won't, Max. There's room in that song for any of the dramatic acrobatics you're thinking about doing."

"What about the bridge? There's that rap solo from Flo Rida that would be perfect."

"GAH!" Digit said. Obviously they had had this conversation many times before and Digit was getting tired of discussing it. He went back to pounding out his meatloaf and mixing ingredients.

Max broke away from the conversation that was obviously annoying her little cyboid friend by peeling another cowflop from the wax paper and passing it over to Echo.

"These are delish. Digit makes the best damn cowflops in all of Cyberspace. Go ahead and try one." She said.

Echo hesitated. Both because Max was handling the cookie and because something with a name like "cowflops" couldn't even begin to sound "delish".

"What are they, exactly?" Echo asked, eying the bite-sized cookie in Max's palm.

"The actual name is 'no-bake cookies'." Digit said. "The ingredients are sugar, cocoa, milk, peanut butter, margarine, and rolled oats. I add a little bit of vanilla extract for some flavoring. I would add coconut slivers but Max and Dr. Marbles hate coconut."

Max blanched. "Coconut slivers are nasty, Didge. So's coconut milk."

Echo recognized the name 'no-bake cookie' in that conversation and took the snack from Max's hand and ate it. She nodded approvingly and was about to get another one when someone interrupted them.

"Max, don't be a show-off."

All commotion in the room stopped at the sound of a male borg's voice at the door of the kitchen. Dr. Marbles had just arrived from his trip to Eureka. However, along the way, he had paid a visit to Ada Lovelace, then made a pit stop at a local bank to take some of Max's things out of her bank box. He carried a small bag over one shoulder and he had his hands stuffed into his pockets. He was slightly hunched and he looked tired. Then again, it seemed like Marbles got tired a lot.

Max blushed, the rosy-hue contrasting oddly with her pale-blue skin. "Sorry, Dad." She said.

Echo tilted her head back and her arms crossed over her chest, now defensive. "So, back to being a borg, huh?"

Marbles' attention suddenly went to her, a spark of confusion lingering in his golden eyes. "I've always been a borg." He said, a what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about expression frozen on his usually cheerful features.

Max's eyes cut between her father and damsel-in-distress, confusion registering on her rough features. "Dad, do you know this girl?" She asked.

"I can't say I do." Marbles answered his daughter. He scratched at the back of his neck, his attention drawing back to the stranger in his kitchen. "I'm sorry. Who are you? How do you know Max?"

"Uh -" Echo said, unsure of which question to answer first. She pointed at Max. "- she pulled me out of the water."

"I'll accept that since it's not surprising. However, that does not tell me who you are." Marbles said.

"My name is Echo. Echo Glasgow." She said. "How could you _not_ know me, anyway? You've visited me for several weeks now on Sensible Flatts." She took a breath before launching into a smart-mouth statement. "Was your adoption of me – saving me from abuse and near-death – just a sick joke?"

Marbles was flabbergasted. Max and Digit both looked confused. And Echo was suddenly beginning to wonder if something was wrong.

"Adoption?" Marbles managed to say.

"Dad . . . when did you adopt somebody?" Max asked, slowly. "I thought we'd discussed this after that business with Hieronymus went down the drain. Why didn't you tell me what you were planning to do?"

"Max, I didn't mention it because it didn't happen." Marbles said.

Digit turned away and rolled the doughy meat into a large ball and stuffed it into a loaf pan. "I'm staying out of this." He said.

"It did happen! I was there! Don't tell me it didn't happen!" Echo said. "You talked about with me about being a family! How can you not remember any of this?"

Marbles was silent for a long time. "Who are your parents?" He finally managed to say.

"You are." Echo answered.

Marbles was gobsmacked.

"Dad." Max began.

"Yes, Max?" Marbles said.

"What the hell?"

"Max, don't start." Marbles said, exasperated.

"Vroom vroom." Max said, with a passable engine noise.

Marbles chose to ignore that smart-aleck remark."The last borg I ever adopted was Ava and that was before you were even thought of."

"Okay, two things. You didn't actually adopt Ava. You took her under your wing when her creator disappeared . . . never to be seen again by anyone."

Marbles thought about it. "That is true." He said. "And . . . the second thing?"

"Echo is not a borg." Max answered. "She's human."

Marbles turned his attention back to the young woman. The more he looked at her, the more he realized two things. She really wasn't a borg. He had heard of borgs who looked more human than robot but they weren't _this_ perfect. With the exception of his blue hair and light bulb, he looked human, too. And Max looked more human than he did with her untidy brown hair and rough features – so long as she didn't unzip her sleeves or wear tanktops, thus revealing the hinges were her elbows were. Echo didn't have any hinges on her elbows or knees. There was no sign of internal circuitry. She reminded him of an older version of their friends from Earth. She also looked about the same age as Max, perhaps a head taller. And her accent reminded him of Professor Ephraim Archimedes.

"Well, I can see you two have a lot to talk about." Max said, clapping her hands and, thus, breaking the silence. "How long until supper is ready?" She asked, Digit.

Digit rammed the loaf pan into the oven, washed his hands, and began peeling potatoes. "Half-hour to an hour." He said.

"Okay." Max answered. "There's some things I need to do. So, see ya."

"Backspace, Maxanne." Marbles said, abruptly. He moved in front of the door, amazed at how tall Max had gotten in the last ten years since Hacker's betrayal. She was now half a head shorter than he was and was still growing. "Your destination, please."

"I'm just going up to the Holo-Dome. There's some things I need to look up." She answered.

"What for?" Marbles asked.

Max gave her father a long look. Then, leaned into him and whispered "Shangri-La business" into his ear. That answer put a quick stop to his questions. The warriors were a secretive lot, not prone to letting others know their business.

"Very well." Marbles said.

Max side-stepped him and left.

0

The Prison-Site of Solitarium, was located at the very edge of Cyberspace in the Eastern Frontier. The Site, itself, was not very large and virtually uninhabited except for the hulking robot guards and one-eyed drones that patrolled the Site and kept the criminals in check. The prison was set in the middle of the Site on 40 cyberacres of dirt and gravel and was surrounded on all sides by a fifty cyberfoot wall topped off by an electrified, barbwire fence. On the other side of that wall, the prison resembled an old manor – calm and endearing. The inside was all hell.

The prison held all the dangerous criminals in all of Cyberspace. Each prisoner had a story as to why they were there.

"Stay to the middle." The robot guard ordered, stiffly, as they entered the East cell block.

The East cell block happened to be the largest cell block – six tiers high and thirty rows long. It was a place where the worst of the worst was placed. Borg and bot prisoners of all kinds edged near their cell doors to reach out and grab at the visitor. Some even yelled insults at him and others snidely asked if he had come to pay bail on someone.

The visitor nodded and stepped into line behind the guard. He kept his head down, shaded by the deep, black hood, was they passed the rows and rows of gawking detainees. Not once did he dare looking one of them in the eye. There was only one pair of eyes he wanted to look into: The Wicked Witch.

Wicked – had been arrested seven months ago by the warriors of Shangri-La following the battle between Maxanne Marbles and Hieronymus Hacker. The reason for her incarceration had been for disrupting the peace as well as for associating herself with a dangerous borg like The Hacker. For whatever reason, Hacker and Wicked kept a love-hate relationship which usually ended with Hacker insulting her. Wicked would either angrily storm off or use Hacker as target practice for one of her more nasty spells. Hacker was known for working alone with only his two, loyal bots, Buzz and Delete, as his back up. From time to time, Wicked appeared in the picture and Hacker openly allowed her to assist him. But the cycle was always the same.

The guard led the visitor up the spiraling staircase which spanned the entire height of the eighteenth tier block. They came to a stop on the fourth floor and the guard informed the visitor he had five minutes with his visitee. The visitor nodded and thanked the guard, then neared the door and peered in.

Wicked was the only one of the prisoners who hadn't come close to her door when the guard and his ward had entered the room. Instead, she sat on the low bed beneath the barred window, staring across the fourteen acres of barren wasteland that was what was left of Solitarium. The stripped prison clothes did little to enhance her flattering figure and her long, red hair was left in an unkempt ponytail.

"Wicked." The visitor whispered.

"Buzz off." Wicked snarled.

"I'm here to help you." He said, ignoring her response.

"You can help me by buzzing off and leaving me alone." Wicked snarled again, looking at him over her pointy, pencil-thin nose.

"Fine. If you don't want to get out of this cell, don't listen to what I have to say." He told her. He turned as though to walk away when Wicked rose off the bed and came closer.

"Wait. You mean you can help me get out of here? How?" She asked.

The visitor smiled at her. "I have my ways." He said.

Wicked caught on and a grin tugged at her pinched features. "Okay." She said, thinking about it. "Why would you want to help me, anyway?"

"I have my reasons." He said.

"You're going to have to be more specific." Wicked told him.

The visitor pulled his hood back, exposing a thin face, pale blue eyes with no hint of a pupil, and neatly-combed black hair. When he spoke, his voice was dark and serious; catching Wicked's undivided attention.

"I know who and what you are, Wicked. I know you're not just an ordinary witch. You have powers other witches don't have which is precisely why I need you. I also know you were in love with Hacker and I know that he was destroyed by the Sheild-maiden of Shangri-La, Maxanne Marbles. I know you seek revenge and I'll be the one to get you that revenge. I can get you out of here but I need something in return."

"Let's say, for a minute, that I actually believe you can get me out of here and help me get my revenge against Max. What will I have to do in return?"

"Just a little bit of Magic, that's all. Oh, and you'll also need to teach me some Magic, too." He answered.

Wicked glowered at him. "That won't work unless if you have a talent for the art." She said.

"Don't you worry about that."

"Besides, my wand has been confiscated before my arrest. Otherwise I would have been out of here a long time ago."

"Ah yes. Your wand. Don't you mean, your medium – your link to the gate?" He asked.

Wicked's glare deepened. "What do you know about mediums and links and the gates?"

"There's a lot of things I know about that particular subject." He said. From the pocket of his cloak, he extracted a thin, fuchsia-colored wand. He slipped the wand to her and she slipped it up the sleeve of her baggy prison shirt. "If you agree to my terms, meet me outside the prison walls. Now that you have your wand, it shouldn't be too difficult." He whispered to her.

"Okay. Times up." The guard said.

"Very well then." The visitor said, loudly. "Since you won't listen to my plans, I guess my work here is done. Good-bye, Wicked."

"Wait." Wicked said. "What is your name?"

The visitor smiled at her. "Ledge."


	4. Secrets of a Seeker

_Chapter Four. Here's where things get interesting. We finally get to figure out what Gal'an means. The ending is kinda slick here too. I'm already working on the next chapter and i've already thought ahead to a chapter which may ore may not be emotionally costly to me. just to warn ya.  
_

_oh, a couple of things. 1, since this is a huntik crossover, i did a little research on the titans used in the show. you're also going to see pretty much all of the spells they used in the show except for, perhaps, darkvoid. as for the titans, i narrowed the list down from 154 to about 60. You'll know which ones i didn't pick just by looking. 2, i have included a couple of words for my "shangrinese" dialect. since i believe they will be difficult for you to pronounce, i have decided to try it here.  
_

_Vol'kahR- Vull (rhymes with full) car (roll the tongue on the r).  
K__olG'Gahr_- Coal kk (heavy on the k sound) Gar (rhymes with car).

_I don't own Cyberchase_._ Max is mine. Echo belongs exclusively to Kawaii Stella and her story Picking up the Broken Glass.  
_

* * *

Chapter Four  
Secrets of a Seeker

The Holo-dome was a mostly circular room. The floor was flat and covered with dark-green squares. The domed walls and ceiling were covered with similar squares. The spaces between each square were light-green – these were the holographic projectors.

Max used the Holo-dome to practice her Hapkido skills. She used to use it more often before her life as a borg ended and her life as a gargoyle began. Ah, those were the days. Though, Hapkido had not been much use to Max during her captivity, the practice had kept her relatively calm despite all the unknowns.

"Holo-dome, on." Max said, abruptly.

"_Holo-dome activated. Welcome back, Maxanne Marbles."_ The computer said. _"Awaiting further instructions."_

Max sat on the floors. "Computer, search all language records. Specifically those involving both dialects of Shangri-La. Word is Gal'an." She said.

"_Search inquiry accepted. Found 700 words."_ Said the computer after a few minutes. _"Awaiting further instructions."_

"You fail at life!" Max yelled at the speakers.

The computer didn't respond. Not that she expected it to. The computer wouldn't answer unless she gave it a direct order. Even then, it only repeated what she said . . . and then some.

_You're a very wonderful conversation companion._ Max thought.

"Computer, display only results from the Shangrinese dialects." She ordered.

"_Display command accepted. Showing one result."_ Said the Holo-dome computer.

In big, glowing letters, Gal'an was displayed; spelled exactly as she had expected it to be. Max was not surprised. She had spent four years on Radopolis and lost some of her ability to speak Shangrinese because the Radopolians spoke a variant of English known as Rad-speech. Thankfully, Max never picked up on their lingo though it wasn't difficult to understand. The Radopolans didn't care if she spoke it or not. On Shangri-La, the situation was different. If you knew the language, you spoke it. No exceptions. Because of this, Max knew the alphabet and pronunciations and she also knew how to spell by listening to the pronunciations.

"Computer, translate." She ordered.

The word shrank a few font sizes and the definition appeared. The computer read it.

"_Gal'an: Seeker. 1, a person who seeks. 2, a person who tries to find an object or person. 3, a person who searches for something. 4, someone who tries to find something. 5, a person who tries to aim for something. 6, a person who tries or attempts for something. Historically: a race of powerful cyborgs capable of using magic as well as the invocation of Titans. During the ancient war between cyborgs and gargoyles, Seekers were used as a means of controlling the gargoyles. In retaliation, the gargoyles annihilated any Seekers they found."_

_Titans?_ Max thought.

"Computer, define Titans." Max ordered.

"_Titans. 1, Deities. 2, Any person or thing of great size or power."_ Said the Holo-dome computer.

"That explains so much." Max muttered. "Computer, how many different Titans are there?"

"_Categories: Six. Levels: Eight. Size types: Four. Original number: 154. Present number: 60."_ Said the Holo-dome computer when it was done crunching numbers.

"Computer, why so few?"

The computer researched all historical resources before the answer was given.

A long time ago, during the war, the gargoyles were getting more and more out of control – shutting down anything and anyone they saw. In retaliation, borg factions hired groups of Gal'an to try and control them. However, no matter what those Gal'an threw at the gargoyles, the gargoyles threw it back with much more deadly force. The number of Titans dwindled, as did the Gal'an they worked with. Back then, it was fairly common to encounter a Gal'an and they were easy to identify. They always had a favorite Titan hanging by a cord around their necks and the remainder were stored in pouches at their hips or around their legs. Unfortunately, that's how the gargoyles were able to identify them, too. There was no information as to why or how the Gal'an were going to try controlling the gargoyles.

Max sat in silence, thinking about everything now being compacted into her memory card. It explained a lot. Why Lok hadn't chosen a weapon and why Pi wanted him to be a Sword-Thane – such a powerful borg would be a valuable asset to the warriors of Shangri-La and the best place for them would be in the more elite warrior ranks. But there was still something she didn't get. The fact he _could_ use Titans was understandable. But even being able to use Titans didn't fully explain why Lok hadn't visited the armory.

"Computer, list the characteristics of a Seeker."

The projectors changed the image from historical events to three moving illustrations. A sandy-haired borg holding an amulet aloft and a Titan appearing. That same borg was shown running an obstacle course; leaping over hurtles, running up and across walls, and performing basic acrobatics on much stronger scale.

These kind of made sense to Max, particularly since Lok was trying to be a Sword-Thane. These kind of actions were expected. But it was the last block of illustrations that caught her attention. She stood up, enlarged the image, and asked for audio. The Holo-dome reverberated with a list of spells, each spell followed by an effective burst of energy.

She dismissed the illustrations and asked to see a list of the now-existing Titans. In return, the Holo-dome presented her with the image of a large block, divided into squares. Each square contained an active image of a Titan. Max was about to select the first image when the Holo-dome doors hissed open and Marbles stepped in. Max quickly saved the block and dismissed it. Then, he faced her father and stowed her thumbs into the back of her belt.

"Hey Dad. How'd it go with Echo?" She asked.

"Not so good." Marbles admitted. "It appears her presence here is more complicated than we originally thought."

"How so?"

"Well. I had to ask her direct questions about where she came from and such. Then I asked if she would discuss it with Motherboard and she refused. So I had to go to Motherboard and talk to her about everything Echo said." Marbles scratched at the back of his neck. "Poor kid has been through a lot, now."

"What's her story?" Max asked.

Marbles launched into a word-for-word account. She was a human from Scotland, Earth, and she was forced to come to Cyberspace by her step-siblings, who really couldn't have cared less for her. When she arrived on Sensible Flatts, she had to live in an orphanage where she was abused by the other orphans. When Max asked what it was about him that threw her off, he explained that a different Marbles – a Dr. Marbles Shovat – was the one who visited her often and finally adopted her. Marbles also said that Echo recognized this Digit because there was another one where she came from, but with Max and Digit doing their little dancing number in the kitchen, Echo couldn't get a word in edgewise regarding whether or not Digit knew her.

"Obviously he didn't." Max pointed out. "If he did, he would've either coward in fear _or_ flown at her and tried to hug her in greeting."

"That is true." Marbles said. Then, he launched into the rest of the story. "Echo had explained that she had left the sanctity of Control Central due to a secret the other Marbles had been hiding from her. She went to Shangri-La because it looked peaceful to her."

"Shangri-La _is_ peaceful. At least to outsiders. To a warrior, it's about keeping the peace." Max said.

"I know" Marbles said. His sides inflated and he blew out a sigh through his mustache.

"So, what secret did Marbles Shovat keep from her?" Max asked.

"She did not elaborate."

"Oh." Max said. They remained silent. Then, "So . . . where do you think she came from?"

"Motherboard suspects she came from a plane that resides parallel to our own." Marbles answered.

Max raised an eyebrow, skeptically. "A parallel universe?"

"It explains everything, Max; why she believes Motherboard and I should know her but we don't." He gave another sigh, obviously he had had a very stressful day. "I also happen to agree with Motherboard's hypothesis."

"Of course you do." Max said.

Again, silence.

"So, what'll happen now? To Echo, I mean?" Max said, to take the edge off her latest comment.

"We'll have to figure out how to send her home. She doesn't really belong here to begin with."

"Could we just send her back to the real world?"

"I don't think that's possible, Max. See, she came from a parallel universe. Her Earth is not the same as the Earth our three friends are from. Aside from that, her family on Earth abandoned her – they want nothing to do with her – and her father is a drunk and her mother is flighty. Our only chance is to send her back to the plane she came from."

"How?"

"I don't know." Marbles admitted. He placed a firm hand over Max's mouth before she could come up with a snide remark. "Do not make fun of my genius. If you think you can do better, then help us figure it out."

Max pulled away. Very few could get her to shut up like that and Marbles was one of them that could get away with it.

"Okay." She said.

Marbles realized he had hurt her from his own remark. But he couldn't help it. While was he was glad she was living under their roof again, she seemed to be drifting away from him. That thought scared him. She wasn't the same borg he had known her to be. She had changed.

"Max, I'm sorry." He said.

"It's okay, Dad."

"No, it isn't. I shouldn't have spoken to you like that."

"No, you were right. I shouldn't poke fun at our brainpower. You know me too well."

"Which is precisely why I wanted to tell you something."

Max waited.

"If – if you ever want to discuss what happened out there between you and Hieronymus, don't hesitate to come to me."

Max gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Dad."

Marbles reached for her and Max went to him and embraced him around the middle. He squeezed her tightly, glad he had gotten that out of his system. But that was only the beginning. It would take a lot before she would crack.

"I'm here for you." He said, resting his chin on his daughter's shoulder.

"I know." Max said. "I'm just not ready to talk about it yet."

Marbles gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I didn't mean now. Just, whenever you're ready."

Max leaned away. "Thanks for understanding. You'll be the first to know."

"_Hey guys! Supper's ready!" _Digit called over the intercom. _"Better get down here before I eat the whole loaf."_

Max went to the wall where the intercom microphone had been installed. Marbles made the intercom system for inside the Holo-dome because Max used to lose herself in her daily practices.

"You won't eat the whole thing." Max said. "That whole loaf is bigger than your head."

"_I hope you're challenging me to try because it looks good."_ Digit said.

"If you do say so yourself." Max said.

"_I do say so myself." _Digit answered.

Marbles laughed. "You know he would try to eat it himself."

"Yeah, I know. We'd best get down there before he stuffs himself bigger than a Thanksgiving turkey." Max said, grinning.

Marbles smiled, too, and the two borgs made their way down to the kitchen, arms on each others shoulders.

Supper, indeed, looked very good. Meatloaf nice and juicy, well-cooked and soft. Golden-brown biscuits in a metal, napkin-covered breadbasket – the sticks were shiny with butter. Refreshments of all kinds. Digit had peeled the cookies up and arranged them on a pyramid shape on a plate.

The cyboid cut the loaf into equal slices, and passed each slice off onto four plates, then passed the bread sticks around. He sat on his stool, removed his apron and chef's hat. Max and Marbles took their seats and grabbed their plates. Marbles moved a plate so it sat in Echo's vacant spot. The humanoid girl hadn't moved from the doorway since both borgs arrived.

"Here. Have something to eat." Marbles said, tapping the table.

Echo hesitated. Everyone waited, not touching their food. Their eyes were warm and welcoming and their smiles were equally so. Finally, Echo sat down and dug in. Bread sticks, butter dish, and a bowl of multi-colored corn was passed around and everyone took as much as they wanted. Then, conversation began.

"I stopped by the bank today and picked up what was left over of your stuff." Marbles said to Max.

Max perked up. "Really?"

"Affirmative. I left it on your bed." Marbles answered.

"Gee, thanks Dad." Max said.

Marbles turned his attention to Echo. "I set up a bed in Max's room for you. It will be a temporary set up until we figure out how to send you back to your plane." He said. "I'm sure my counterpart is worried sick about you."

Echo shook her head. "If he didn't care enough to tell me the truth, he doesn't care about me at all."

Max, Digit, and Marbles looked at each other. Digit was the only one who hadn't heard Motherboard's hypothesis yet, and he wasn't sure he understood it all.

"I'm sure he was giving you time to adjust." Marbles said, gently. "I did the same when I took Ava under my care."

Echo made no response. She put her head down and kept eating. Meanwhile, conversation continued between Marbles and Max.

"How were the recruits?" He asked.

"Fine. There were five. I picked two out of the lot as strong possibilities." Max said.

"Two? I thought you said Pi only wanted one!" Marbles said.

"Yeah!" Digit said.

"Oh, shut up, Didge. You were barely awake when we talked about this." Max said. She answered her father's questions. "Yeah. I picked two. Red and Master Pi are pushing for one. I said that if they'd allow two, I'll take one. So far, I'm hoping they'll give me Lok."

"Message error." Marbles said. "You want to _train_ a future Sword-Thane?'

"Yes."

"But, you've only been a Shield-maiden for -" Digit began.

"Eight months." Max said. "Actually, eleven years if you think about it."

"You've had the belt and sash for eight months." Marbles pointed out.

"But Shield-maiden is an earned title. The belt and sash are just indicators that this is no ordinary warrior of Shangri-La. I've always been a Shield-maiden _before_ I left Shangri-La that day. I just hadn't been giving the sash and belt yet." Max said.

"Excuse me." Echo said. "What the hell is a Shield-maiden and a Sword-Thane?"

"Elite warriors of Shangri-La." Max said by way of explanation. "See, on Shangri-La, you have five levels: Page, Apprentice, Warrior, Elite Warrior, and Master. In every fifty years, there can only be five elite warriors at a time and they can only be chosen out of the line-up of pages. Among those elites are one Shield-maiden and four Sword-Thanes. The warriors take care of basic problems in Cyberspace. The elites with their apprentices take care of the more hardcore problems."

"How many elites are there now?" Digit asked.

"Two. Me and Red." Max said. "There's supposed to be five but Shangri-La has been lax with that rule."

"Anyway! Max, should you _really_ be trying to teach a boy how to be a Thane?" Marbles asked.

"Dad, I've actually got more experience fighting evil than Red." Max said. "Defeating Hieronymus actually boosted my experience points to about a ninety. Red stand at about seventy."

"You've also had more close calls with death than anybody else I know." Digit said.

"bIjatih 'e' yImev!" Max said, abruptly. The word startled Echo who gave her a what-the-hell look.

"What was that?" She asked.

"That was 'shut your mouth' in Shangrinese." Marbles said.

Echo nodded but was still confused.

"Shangrinese is the language spoken exclusively by the warriors of Shangri-La and the gargoyles of Cybersite Wyvern." Max explained. "It actually has two dialects – KolG'GahR and Vol'kahR – depending on how you view the person you're having a conversation with, you used one or the other. KolG'GahR is reserved for an enemy or an opponent – the gargoyles use this dialect a lot because they view everyone with disdain, including each other. Vol'kahR is spoken to a friend, ally, or comrade. The two are very different from each other and while the pronunciations are basically the same, KolG'GahR is harsher and requires a lot of guttural force when using it. Vol'kahR is softer and requires less force."

"So, which dialect does 'shut your mouth' come from?" Digit asked.

"KolG'GahR. Obviously you wouldn't actually tell someone you think very highly of to shut up, now would you?"

"I guess not." Digit said. Then, a thought spun around in his head. "Does that mean you don't think very highly of me?"

Max's face split into a pleasant and gentle grin. "Of course I do, Didge. I would just prefer you didn't bring up my numerous encounters with death. Nor should you contradict me."

She took a drink before continuing. "Shangrinese is a particularly difficult tongue to learn because there ware similarities in the two dialects. Mostly nouns and pronouns are the same. But there are just some words in one dialect you should not say in the other. To make sure that bridge is never accidentally crossed, Shangrinese was rewritten so only things you would say to a friend is in Vol'kahR and only things you would say to an enemy is in KolG'GahR. Only the neutral words – nouns and pronouns – can be found in both, but the pronunciations are different."

"What happens if the bridge _is_ crossed?" Echo asked.

"Well, if you switch from KolG'GahR to Vol'kahR, then your enemy has become your friend and a comrade, honoring them. But, if you cross from Vol'kahR to KolG'GahR, then you insult your friend who has now become your enemy and he will turn away from you and you are banished from his home, sight, and presence."

"I see." Echo said.

"It's not a good idea to insult a warrior Shangri-La." Marbles said, pushing his clean plate forward. "Particularly an Elite and _especially_ not a Master."

"Have _you_ ever crossed the bridge from one side to the other?" Digit asked Max. Obviously, he hadn't heard about the rules of Shangrinese before now.

"A few times when I was learning it. Each time, it was to KolG'GahR and I had to conduct an apology in Vol'kahR before they would continue teaching me. It was a slip of the tongue, a mispronunciation of a pronoun and a noun, but they still treated me as one who should know the language."

Silence followed. Then, the table was cleared off and dishes were placed in the sink. Max filled the sink with water and soap, and began washing. Echo volunteered to help and was handed a damp rag to wipe off the table and countertops.

"How soon is Master Pi going to let you know his decision?" Marbles asked.

"I'll hear his answer within a couple of days." Max answered.

"He must be plenty special to have caught your attention like that." Marbles observed.

"If you met him, you'd understand." Max told him.

"Maybe you could tell me." Marbles suggested.

Max paused. Here's where the Shangri-La secrecy came in. Max never liked this law, particularly when she knew she could trust her father. Marbles had a good relationship with Pi and the other warriors. She sighed. _Screw it!_

"Master Pi gave me a word to describe him." Max said. "That's why I was in the Holo-dome. I didn't recognize the word."

"What is it?"

"Gal'an."

"What the heck is gallon supposed to mean? A gallon of milk? A gallon of gas?" Digit asked.

"Not gallon, Didge. Gal'an. It means Seeker." Max said.

It took every piece of self-control Marbles possessed not to drop his plate. "Seeker? Are you certain that's what it was?"

"Yes." Max said. She stopped washing just to look at her father. "Why? Have you heard of them?"

"They were very common a long time ago. Especially during the war between gargoyles and cyborgs. The last time any of them had been seen was during your great-grandfather Web's time." Marbles answered. "Your grandfather, Byron, used to talk about a prophecy on the Seekers."

"Do you remember what the prophecy was?" Max asked.

Marbles took a plate from her, dried it, and handed it off to Digit who put it away. "I can't recall the specifics, but I believe it said **'In a time of need, the Seekers will return and bring balance to a chaotic world. Together with their almighty Titans and their Shangrinese companions, wrong will be righted and harmony will return'**."

Max was again silent as she thought through everything. Web was the son of Siren, Max's second-great-grandfather, who was known as the father of their time. Web's son, Net, was the one who created Marbles and his brother, Cooper. While Siren had been around for the beginning of the gargoyle/cyborg war, Web had seen the rest of the war which had extended even in the beginning years of his son, Net's, life. The fact he had lived through the war probably did much to explain why Net had been so grumpy. Marbles had described his father as been cold, distant, and elusive – unwilling to act like a parent to his two young boys, and unwilling to live up to his father's expectations of protecting Siren's legacy. Cooper and Marbles were the ones given complete control over how Motherboard was supposed to function. Both boys were also forced to look for a role model elsewhere. Cooper found it in the face of the previous king of Radopolis and Marbles found it in the face of his girlfriend's father, Lord Byron. As it turned out, Byron liked Marbles very much and even paid his way through school. When Byron's daughter, Ada, and Marbles began dating, Byron was more than thrilled.

Unlike Net, whose internal circuitry corroded before she was even born, Max had met Lord Byron a few times in her childhood before he, too, passed on. During that time, Ada had adopted Max as her daughter and Byron had been very pleased to call Max his granddaughter. In return, Max was only too happy to call him her grandfather.

"Did Grandpa Byron ever say anything else about the Gal'an?" Max asked her father.

"Unfortunately not." Marbles said. "They've been a fairly extinct race since the war. As far as I know, there are only a few Seekers in existence, and they keep themselves out of the public eye."

"Go figure." Max said.

With the dishes done, Marbles went to the main control deck to run a few last minute checks. Max and Digit led Echo up the stairs to their room. The room was a little more crowded than usual. Then, Max realized that not only had Marbles moved another bed into their room, but also a dresser. The bed was made with clean sheets and had a memory foam pillow at the head. A set of pajamas were neatly folded at the foot of the bed and Max suspected that Marbles had filled the dresser with some girl's clothing. Judging by Echo's body type, they were roughly the same size – though Echo was only a few inches taller than herself.

Max sat on her bed and dumped out the contents of her bags – the one she had taken with her to Radopolis and the one Marbles used to get her things from the bank box. While doing so, she pointed out the parts of her room.

"Over there's the bathroom. You can take a shower, brush your teeth, or just wash up. You're welcome to use my soap, shampoo, and toothpaste. I'm sure Dad has a toothbrush in there for you as well – he thinks of everything. Towels are in the linen closet behind the door. The shower knob has a temperature setting so you can make the water as hot and cold as you want it."

Echo nodded.

Max pointed to a large, blocky machine in the corner. There was a two-foot long slot with an eight-by-four-inch top. There were no buttons, switches, or knobs.

"That is a replicator1. It's voice activated. You just tell it what you need – from food to supplies – and it gives you exactly what you need. There's no artificial flavorings or preservatives in the food or drinks either. You might want to be a little specific with what you want, though." Max said.

"Like what?" Echo asked.

Max went over to the replicator. "Is there anything you want right now? Like a snack or something like that?"

Echo shook her head. After that dinner, she was rather full.

Max shrugged. "Fine." She cleared her throat. "Computer, peanut butter . . . creamy . . . two tablespoons."

Much to Echo's amazement, a glob of peanut butter appeared in a small cup on the slot's surface. A plastic spoon lay nearby. Max took the peanut butter and ate it. Echo stared at her, open-mouthed.

"I meditate in the morning before I get any breakfast. The peanut butter helps hold me together until then." Max said.

Echo nodded.

Max finished her peanut butter cup, took it to what appeared to be a trashcan by the door, and dropped the empty cup and dirty spoon in. There was a _pfumf!_ and the cup and spoon were gone.

"Incinerator." Max said, by way of explanation. "Do not drop anything important in there. You will not get it back."

Echo nodded again.

Max went back to her bed and began removing a few things. Echo watched her. She took her new quarter stave out of its buckle, extended it, and hung it on hooks above her bed. Then, she tugged on the strap over her left shoulder and the bundle came away. She unbuckled the strap that held the bundle together and unrolled it before hanging the lot on a pair of hooks by her bed. After that, she rummaged through the contents of the other sack, putting things away where they had been before she was forced to leave the life she had lived before Hieronymus took her away.

Echo had drifted closer to Max's wall ornaments. Her face awestruck by all the things she saw there, especially the double-edged throwing knives.

"What's with all those?" She asked, reaching out to touch one of the handles of Max's knives. Her fingertips barely brushed the rubber grips when the borg's hand came out and grabbed her gently by the wrist. Echo recoiled from the contact and Max immediately let her go.

"Please don't touch." Max said. "You can look but no touchy."

Echo nodded.

"When you first start out as an apprentice, you get to choose your weapon and, in doing so, you also choose your own fighting style. On Shangri-La, there are five different fighting styles: Judo, Jujitsu, Aikido, Hapkido, and Kick-boxing. We also study Tai Chi, so there's actually six arts but Tai Chi doesn't actually qualify as a war-art form on Shangri-La." Max said.

"So, which art did you choose?" Echo asked after a moment's pause.

Max pointed to the artificial quarter-stave. "I picked the stave. Usually that would've meant I would be assigned to learn Aikido, but Master Pi believed my skills lie in Hapkido – which is a combination of the other four. These other weapons – the knives, cane, rope, sword, and rod – are part of that art form as well."

"Are you any good?"

Max pointed to a spot on the wall. "See that spot?" She asked.

The spot turned out to be a fly. Not a very big one, but still annoying.

Echo nodded.

In a flash, Max had a knife in her hand and, with a flick of her wrist, she sent the knife flying toward the fly; neatly impaling it on the tip of the blade. She did it without looking and the movement was so quick, Echo wasn't sure if she had actually seen it happen. Even Digit was slow looking at Max's target.

"Wow." Echo said.

"She practices all the time in the Holo-dome." Digit said, proudly.

"That reminds me, I need to practice it in the morning." Max said. She got up and took the knife out of the wall; wiping the dead fly off the tip with a tissue she had retrieved from her bathroom. Then, she went back to her bed and slipped the knife back into its sheath. "By the way, when I'm in the Holo-dome . . . don't go in there. You can use it if you want to, just now when I'm practicing."

"Okay." Echo said.

The human girl looked around the room. Then, she spotted a workstation where a computer was set up. A terminal, monitor, keyboard, and mouse were all connected. The system was currently off.

Max saw what she was looking at. "You can use that, too, if you'd like. I'd just have to open a profile for you first."

"Okay."

"It's not that I don't trust you – I barely know you, and all – but I just have a lot of stuff on my computer that has something to do with Shangri-La. It's all secret stuff that no one outside the order should ever see."

"Okay."

Max clapped her hands. "Well, I guess that's everything. If you should need anything, don't hesitate to ask. Even if it means waking me up in the middle of the night. I'm a real light sleeper. All you have to do is touch me and I'll wake up."

"Okay." Echo said.

Max smiled at her, then sat cross-legged on her bed; fingers joined at the tips in her meditation state2. She heard Echo take her pajamas into the bathroom. There was some shuffling sounds as the human looked for a towel and washcloth. Then, the scrape of the door opening and closing and the water turned on.

Max took a breath and began to meditate.

1

The hulking guards made one last sweep around the four cell blocks, making sure the prisoners were in their places and behaving themselves, before shutting themselves inside the guards' quarters. It was then that the Wicked Witch made her move.

Standing by the door, she waited until she heard the last guard enter his room and shut the door, before removing her wand from inside a slit in the underside of her mattress. The guards had missed the very small tear – not on purpose, of course, as Wicked had to whisper a small incantation when a guard had noticed it – when checking her room for contraband. With the wand in her left hand, she touched the lock with the other.

"Poisonhand." She whispered.

A glob of green, toxic slime spread from beneath her palm across the lock. Immediately, the lock melted away and, with a soft _click_, the door opened.

Wicked made her way across the tier and down the spiral-staircase to the ground floor. Her escape when on without a hitch, until she reached the door leading out of the East Cell Block.

"Hey! How'd you g -" A guard said.

"Simplemind." Wicked said, looking the guard in the eye.

His eyes went blurry and out of focus and the witch was able to walk past him. She opened the main doors with Poisonhand and slipped out; sneaking past the one-eyed drones. She made her way across the plain to the fence.

"Hyperstride!" She cried. A bluish light formed around her legs and she mounted and ran up the wall. Once she reached the top, she jumped.

"Featherdrop!" Immediately, her fall slowed and she gently landed on her feet.

"Nimblefire!" Her speed was amped to superhuman and she crossed the remaining fourteen acres before she saw _it._

A massive, purple ship – large enough for a family of five to live in, comfortably. The ramp was down, and the boy stood waiting. Two robots and a cyber-hound were with him.

Wicked stopped, eying the familiar ship with awe. She heard it had been torn apart piece by piece and the parts were melted down to slag. Wires were scrapped, glass melted down for use on other projects, and other usable parts salvaged. Yet, here it was. Standing on its four legs as though it had never been touched.

_Who is this kid?_ She thought.

Her eyes went to the two bots and the cyber-hound. She knew all three of them but she wasn't sure how she felt about all this. Buzz and Delete had been sent off to work in a factory which manufactured cybercoops. The cyber-hound, Baskerville, had been put in a low-security prison for only two months.

Ledge smiled at her. "I see you got out, okay." He observed.

"Of course." Wicked said. "Did you have any doubt?"

Ledge's smile deepened and Wicked suddenly received a chill down her spine. This kid looked much more sinister than her Hackey-poo had ever been.

"No. I was sure a clever witch like you could make it out." Ledge told her. "Are you ready to get your revenge?"

"Boy, I was born ready." Wicked said.

Ledge nodded, reprovingly. "Good." He said. "You'll start teaching me magic in the morning."

* * *

_1 Replicator- Star Trek_

_2 Mediation state – based off of Shikamaru Nara's thinking position in Naruto and Naruto Shippuuden._


	5. Lok's True Face

_Chapter Five. I had fun writting this one and it used up the last of the pages in my handy-dandy pink moleskin notebook. i had to resort to finding one of my older notebooks. I've already started on one of the later chapters because THEY WON'T FREAKIN' LEAVE! _*SPOILER*_ everyone who reads that chapter plus the one after it will not like it. I guarantee you won't._

_I also thought you would like to know how to pronounce the Shangrinese word in this one, too.  
Plo'BaQ'krum-Plo (rhymes with toe) Bock (like the sound a chicken makes) krum (sounds like room)  
_

_I don't own Cyberchase_._ Max is mine. Echo belongs exclusively to Kawaii Stella and her story Picking up the Broken Glass.  
_

* * *

Chapter Five  
Lok's True Face

Although Master Pi had promised Max two days, he had really only needed one to make a final decision. Pi was known for being very calm in any given situation and, therefore, required less time to meditate than his underlings did. This time, he did meditate, and he realized the answer was obvious.

Nathan _was_ a good choice for the position of Thane. The boy had done what was asked without complaint. Levi did too but Nathan seemed more enthusiastic about it all than Levi. Pi decided to hand Nathan off to Red to begin his training as Sword-Thane. With that out of the way, Pi began focusing on Lok.

Lok's future was a cloudy one, and his past was very sketchy. But his present position was quite clear. Lok was mildly-obedient – at least better than Solomon whose rotten mouth got him in trouble on multiple occasions. Lok had made it clear he wanted to be a Thane. With his gift, he would make a fine Thane. However, to give him to Max or not to give him to Max was the real question. Of course, granting Max complete control over Lok's training was the best and most obvious answer – since she had defeated her long-time enemy and earned the sash – Lok would need someone who could understand him and relate to him. Not just in the way warriors connected, but in the way two like entities could connect. Both were alike in many ways. Perhaps, too alike.

Pi sighed. Then he left his place at the front of the temple and went to the place where the pages bunked. When he got there, he sent the other pages away, telling them their training as plain warriors were to begin on the morrow. He moved Solomon, Levi, and Zeke (one at a time) to the lower apprentices' quarters. When they were finished gathering their meager possessions, they left and Pi had Nathan and Lok all to himself.

"Nathan, you are to be a Sword-Thane, as decided by Shield-maiden Max." Pi said. "Take your things and go to the upper apprentices' quarters."

Nathan bowed and thanked Master Pi. Then, with his meager possessions in hand, he left the room.

Lok was the only one left in the room. The boy looked disheartened as though he suspected what Pi's answer would be.

"Is there a problem?" Pi asked.

"You're going to send me off to be a plain warrior apprentice, aren't you?" Lok said.

"No." Pi answered.

Lok perked up. "You're not?"

"No. Shield-maiden Max has made quite the argument on your behalf. Since you have skills that lie far beyond those of normal warriors, it will only make sense for you to be a Sword-Thane. I believe, we will require your powers in the near future."

"Thank you." Lok said, bowing. His face bright with eager excitement.

"Your training will be conducted under Shield-maiden Max. I will arrange for you to stay at Control Central until your training is complete. With that said -" Pi waved his hand and a glowing spiral formed under his palm and went to Lok; altering the boy's appearance. "- you no longer need to hide your true identity."

"Thank you, Master." Lok said, bowing again.

Pi stared at him, taking in the boy's angular face, pale skin, bright-blue eyes, and untidy white-blond hair. His appearance was enough to tell anyone Lok was not from Shangri-La nor was he born in the factory located in the middle of the Bellowing Hills – where all Shangrinese warriors were created. In fact, Master Pi was sure he knew where Lok had come from.

0

It was four days after Max left Shangri-La. Motherboard had been informed of Max's change in identity and gave her full immunity to gargoyle restriction laws. She named Max "Defender of Cyberspace" and had Marbles tell all the Cyber-heads not to interfere if they were to spot an albino gargoyle with robotic replacement parts.

On the fourth day, Pi received a video-call from a borg who called himself Eathan – Pi knew him by another name and also knew "Eathan" had his hand in the most important Cyber-council circles. Eathan explained that he was a Seeker and the second-great-grandson of Atreyu1, the first Seeker Sword-Thane. But having taken up other responsibilities, Eathan retired from being a Seeker and gave his Titans to his young son, Lok, who was showing promise in their way.

With a gargoyle on the loose, Eathan wanted to protect his son. So, he asked Pi to take young Lok under his wing. Eathan wanted his boy to learn how to be a Seeker but Pi thought it would also be wise for Lok to learn their ways too.

Pi agreed to take Lok because he felt Lok's position as Seeker would be rather beneficial to their world. Pi also agreed not to tell anyone who Eathan really was – whether or not "Eathan" was his real name was of no concern to Pi – and asked Eathan to bring Lok and his Titans to Shangri-La the next morning. After Max had proven her worth despite not having been born in the Bellowing Hills herself, Pi did not hesitate to attempt to teach another non-Shangrinese.

Lok was immediately inducted into the ranks of the Pages. But Lok found it difficult fitting in because he looked nothing like the others – Max didn't have that problem because there were no pages at that time, but Pi doubted she would have been picked on anyway what with her father being a respected member of Cyberspace and her second-great-grandfather being the father of their time. Solomon and Zeke made it especially difficult, telling Lok he didn't belong there and going on about how his father abandoned him. Pi became fed up with it all and he altered Lok's appearance so the boy looked like the other Pages and rearranged the memories of the other Pages so they would forget how they originally saw Lok.

Since Seekers were a rare commodity, Pi cast aside his lofty position as leader and tutored Lok on how to use his magic and Garrett taught him how to use his Titans – fifty-eight of them, in fact. Lok had advanced quickly up the ranks. Too quickly for Pi, Red, and Garrett's tastes. They eventually told Lok to slow down lest the other Pages become too jealous.

"Nothing good comes out of being hasty." Pi said.

So Lok slowed down his studies. He practiced Seeker-style meditation2, Tai chi, and kick-boxing. The rest of his day was spent studying magic out of his Cipherdex – a holographic book that contains everything about Seeker magic and their Titans.

As Pi let Lok prepare for his move, the strange master couldn't help but wonder if trusting Max with a kid like him was a wise choice. Max had her own set of problems she was trying to deal with. If she was trying to deal with them at all, that is.

1

Max was having another nightmare. They had become fairly commonplace for her since she had defeated her enemy. And they seemed to be getting progressively worse every night.

_Max was a borg. She was wearing her Shangrinese uniform complete with the alterations her mother put in. But she was missing her sash, knives, and other armaments._

"_Max!" She heard Marbles call._

_She turned in the direction of his voice but saw nothing._

"_Dad! Dad, where are you?" She called back._

_No response. Then, she saw a shadow in the distance and ran toward it._

"_Dad?"_

"_Guess again." The shadow said, standing up. It was Hacker in his gargoyle form. Bleeding and broken, he managed to hobble to her on two good legs; mandible detaching. His head jerked down and max was swallowed up by the blackness._

"Nooo!" Max cried, sitting up. Her face was damp, her breathing irregular, and her hair clung to her skin.

Max took several breaths before she was able to calm down. She snuck a peek at Digit and was relieved he hadn't even awakened to her shout. Then, she looked up and saw Echo who was looking back at her; legs squeezed tight to her chest and arms resting over her knees.

Max let out a noisy sigh and pressed her fists into her face.

"Bad dream?" Echo asked.

"Yeah." Max said.

"Sounded like it."

"It happens." Max arranged herself so she was against the headboard. "How long have you been awake?"

"A while."

"Insomnia?"

A long pause. "Yeah."

"How long has this been going on?"

"A while."

Max paused to take this in. "Dad told me about the abuse. I'm sorry."

"It's not your problem."

"Maybe not but that doesn't change how I feel about it." Max said. "Is that why you can't sleep?"

Another long pause. "Yeah."

"I was abused too. By a borg known as Hieronymus Hacker."

Echo looked surprised. "Hacker?"

"Yeah. Is there a Hacker where you're from?"

"Yeah. He's like a big, bad guy. But I didn't think he was _that_ evil!"

"He was to me."

Echo didn't respond but it looked like she was debating on whether or not to ask about Hacker and his abusive nature. Max wouldn't have discussed it much anyway. She just wasn't ready yet.

Max got up and went over to sit on the edge of Echo's bed. Echo moved away from her, clearly afraid. Max patted the bed with a smile.

"Here. I know how to get someone to sleep."

"How?" Echo asked.

"I'll sing."

"I don't think Devil Went Down to Georgia or Starstruck is going to help." Echo said.

"That's not what I had in mind." Max said.

Echo regarded the teen borg. Then, she stretched out and laid back. Max reached to and touched Echo on the forehead, feeling her tremble under her touch, and resorted to brushing back her hair like Ada did when she was staying with them. Then, Max began to softly sing the lullaby Ada sang to her; the same song Max, herself, sang to Inez eight months ago. By the time Max finished with the song, Echo was sound asleep. She slowly slid off the bed and wandered back to her own, humming the words to herself as she went.

0

The next morning, Digit left to prepare breakfast and Max skipped over he mediation to do the eighteen forms of Tai Chi. Though not meant to replace meditation, it was acceptable for those who didn't want to sit in silent stillness. That was the case for Max this morning. The nightmare had her rattled and meditating would have had her reflecting on it.

As Max shifted from one form to the next, she suddenly became aware of a pair of eyes looking at her. She knew Echo was watching.

"Tai Chi?" Echo asked.

"Yep." Max said. She was only five forms in, thirteen more to go.

"C – can I join you?"

"If you want." Max said.

She stopped and waited for Echo to step in. Then, she stared over, Echo followed Max's forms as closely as possible, breathing whenever Max did. The movements were simple and fluid and almost no thought was required when doing them. By the time they were finished, both girls were hungry and they dressed before going up to the kitchen. Digit had the leftover platter of bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits laying out; reheated and checked for any bacteria. Marbles hadn't woken up yet.

After breakfast, Max told Echo she could do what she wanted, just as long as she stayed out of the Holo-dome while it was running. Otherwise, the whole of Control Central was open to her. Echo nodded and watched as Max picked up her quarter-stave and knives before heading up to the dome.

Max spent two hours practicing, then she had the computer transfer all her research files to her personal computer. Among those included the Shangri-La language database in chase she needed something to refer back to in case more words came up she didn't know. Then, she went back to her room; surprised to find that Echo was there. The human was drawing on a piece of printer paper.

"Bored yet?" Max asked, starting up her computer.

"Kind of." Echo said.

Max craned her neck around to look at what Echo was doing. "Would you like a sketchpad and pencils?"

"Do you have stuff like that?" Echo asked, looking up.

"Dad keeps some stockpiled away for designs, inventions, and stuff. But he's been busy fixing Motherboard lately. He doesn't have any colored pencils or markers, or stuff like that, though. You could try the replicator."

Echo went to the replicator. "Sketchpad. One-hundred sheets. White." She said. A sketchpad appeared. Echo took it off the counter and tucked it under her arm.

"Colored pencils, fifty colors." A box of colored pencils appeared.

Max opened her desk and flipped a sharpener at Echo's bed. "You can use that." She said.

"Thanks." Echo said. She sat down and continued drawing.

Max shifted her attention back to her computer, opened the appropriate files, and continued her research.

Max learned all the names of the Titans currently in existence and came to the conclusion there were really only fifty-eight Titans. She learned that Seekers and Titans shared a bond, an unspoken connection which allow them to coordinate moves without any planning. The bond was maintained through an amulet – a sort of space-warp device that can store even enormous Titans – which needs the Seekers central power source to work.

Max couldn't help but wonder if that was dangerous. The amulets fed off a power core, that was understandable. But a Seeker could also use magic. She didn't know much about Magic, but Max did know you needed a source of some great magnitude to do. Further digging gave her the explanation she needed.

Seekers were designed to be the ultimate protectors in an area the Elite warriors would fail. They were built with an extra-large power core – larger than the average borg. In fact, the power coming from that single core would be enough to power Control Central for a month if they just used the bare necessities. Two weeks if they used everything else.

Max got up and dug around under her bed for a while until she found what she was looking for. A couple of years ago, Marbles had developed a piece of equipment which was supposed to be able to scan codes and interpret it in a language easy to understand. Marbles didn't have much luck with it and Max took it because she thought it could be useful. Turns out, she was right.

Max set the device on her desk and located a jump cable. After switching on the drawing board (which doubled as a computer monitor), she plugged the device in, configured her computer to work with the board, and moved the Seeker database onto the board. After that, she removed the device's original programming and downloaded the database.

While the information was being stored, Max received a message on her Sqwack.

_Are you alone? ~Pi_

Max looked back at Echo. "Uh, do you mind leaving the room for a few minutes?" She asked.

"Sure." Echo said, quietly. She got up, took her stuff, and left the room.

Max turned back to her monitors. _Yes_. She typed back. Within moments, an icon, indicating an incoming message, appeared on her screen. She clicked it and Master Pi's face filled the screen.

"Master." Max said, politely bowing.

"Shield-maiden Max." Pi said, inclining his head. "I have called to inform you my final decision. Lok will become your apprentice. But you must come get him."

"What? You mean bring him to Control Central with me?"

"That is exactly what I mean."

"May I ask why?"

"Lok's presence here has complicated things. Both Thanes in training need time away from each other to learn the Elite's ways, and their teachers must not be distracted by the training of the other's teaching methods."

"So, Nathan will be a Thane, too?"

"Yes. We have just agreed that with the Shadow drawing so close, we will need two more Thanes to help protect our world."

"Which is why I chose both. They showed promise in our ways." Max pointed out.

"Yes. We know." Pi said with a nod.

Max leaned back. "Master, I looked up the word you gave me. I must say, I have a few questions."

"Very well. Ask away."

"Have the Seekers always been made Thanes?"

"Not always. Here, that word is a false infinitive. If you go back about two-hundred years, you will find that only two of the original Seekers, Atreyu and Artax3, had been Thanes."

"Atreyu? Artax? Who are they?"

"Really, Max? Do you not remember your history? Atreyu was the Seeker who founded our order and Artax was his brother. They were talented warriors who wrote the book on our order and its laws." Pi said. "At that time, they were the only Seekers around."

"Did they happen to have any children?"

"Atreyu fathered many generations of borgs and warriors. To balance it out, only two of his six sons became Seekers: Aang4 and Rohan5. The other brothers – Cochise, Sokka, Taarlok6, and Siren – were normal borgs. Well, not Siren whose genius went beyond those of normal borgs."

"Siren? You don't mean -"

"Yes, Max. That is the very same borg who fathered the culture Cyberspace has today. That Siren is your second-great-grandfather." Pi said.

Max was shocked. Her second-great-grandpa was the youngest son of Atreyu the Seeker?

"Master, not to be critical, but how do you know this? Dad always said no one even knew Siren's father – who he was or where Siren had come from. It's like Siren just appeared . . . out of nowhere."

"We have recorded documents written by Atreyu himself. He spoke very highly of his children. Especially his youngest, Siren, who he believed would do great things with his talent." Pi said.

"Master, I would like to see these documents please, if you don't mind." Max said.

"Of course. We will have them ready for you when you arrive. And if you would like to take them back with you, that is fine."

"Really? I mean, it's an artifact of Shangri-La. Shouldn't it stay there?"

"If the Siren in the book truly is your great-great-grandfather, then the documents would surely belong to you, his descendent. You are the only for-sure descendent of Atreyu we have been able to trace."

"Thank you. I shall bring it back." Max said.

"I have no doubt you will."

"Master, I have one more question. The Seeker database describes them as being able to use magic. I've seen you use magic. Are -"

"I know where you are going with this, Max, and no, I am not a Seeker." Pi said.

"Then what are you?"

"I am a descendent of Artax. He not only helped build Shangri-La but also found anew way of using magic. He gave up his Titans to Rohan so he could study this new magic." Pi said. "I am a Plo'BaQ'krum."

Max was quiet for a beat. Then, "Excuse me while I plead ignorance on this particular subject." She said. She opened her online Shangrinese dictionary and located the word.

_Plo'BaQ'krum- Alchemist. Borgs with power exceeding that of the Gal'an. Their powers toward the construction of living things. Unlike the Gal'an whose powers come from within, Alchemists' power comes from another source. They carry an object which anchors them to the power beyond this world. This object is called a medium and contains power which can be extracted from the gates._

Max looked at her master and saw he was holding his trademark scepter. "That rod – is that your medium?"

"Yes." Pi said, pleased that Max was understanding everything that was being said.

"What are the gates?"

"That is a question you should ask when you get here."

"Master, back to the Gal'an. The history section talked about them being hired to control the gargoyles. How were they going to do that?"

"That is a question you should ask when you get here."

"Is there anything else you can tell me at this point?"

"Not at the moment. However, I would like to give you a little piece of advice."

"Yes, Master?"

"The Gal'an were also known to have a familiar with them at all times. These familiar helped them with problems that needed to be solved and advised them on which spells and Titans to use. They were called Cherit."

Max looked up a Cherit and liked what she saw. A creature with a cat-like body, a long tufted tail, big ears, small horns, and bat like ears. It had a friendly face and gentle, golden eyes.

"Cool! Does Lok have one?"

"They are extinct Titans, Max. But, I'm sure you'd be able to figure it out." Pi said. "Now, I would like to speak with your father."

Max pulled out her Sqwackpad and texted Marbles. _Get up here now._

Within minutes, her door opened and Marbles strode in. Max moved away and sat on her bed while her father and teacher spoke with one another. She wasn't listening as she was mulling over everything else instead. Was Pi giving her permission to make Lok a familiar? Sounds like it.

"Max. Get the guest bed room ready." Marbles said, breaking into her thoughts. "Lok is coming tomorrow."

"Okay, Dad." Max said as she left.

* * *

1Atreyu- The Never-Ending Story

2Seeker-style meditation- Airbender-style meditation

3Artax- The Never-Ending Story

4Aang- Avatar: The Last Airbender

5Rohan- Avatar: The Legend of Korra; youngest son of Tenzin

6Sokka- Avatar: The Last Airbender  
Taarlok- Avatar: The Legend of Korra


	6. Secrets of Siren

_Chapter Six. This was a little long but I really had no control over the length of this one. there was just so much to put in there. If you want to know more about the Huntik Titans, visit the huntik wikia at .com. that's all i have to say at this point except for this. interesting ending. and i put a lot of background into this too._

_I don't own Cyberchase or Huntik_._ Max is mine. Echo belongs exclusively to Kawaii Stella and her story Picking up the Broken Glass.  
_

* * *

Chapter Six  
Secrets of Siren

Max spent the next few hours of the day getting the guest room finished. She peeled the dust cover off the mattress and stretched bedding on it. Then, after hooking together a computer and activating a profile for Lok, she was almost done. Not quite, but almost.

Master Pi's blatant permission for her to make a familiar to Lok stuck in her head. Max went down to the basement where old construction kits were being stored. Marbles had gone overboard when Max was a kid and bought kits upon kits in hopes that the two of them could put them together as father-daughter projects. But after Max had gone to Shangri-La to study how to be a Shield-maiden, was kidnapped, tortured, mutated, and almost killed, the kits were pretty much forgotten. They were mostly hobbyist kits but could be modified as needed. All that was needed was the tools and the know-how. Max happened to have both.

She scanned the various, plastic boxes laying on the shelves. Marbles had taken the time to arrange each kit alphabetically – he was annoyingly organized that way – so finding the kits she wanted was quite easy. She reached up and pulled down a cat and a bat, thinking she could combine the two to make a familiar – Cherit's body was cat-like but he had bat's wings and talons. Then, Max paid a visit to the spare parts storage room and took a few necessary pieces, having already received permission from her father to do so. With the kits in a cardboard box with the spare parts, Max went upstairs to her room, spread a blanket out on the floor, dumped out the contents of the box, laid out each part, and started to work.

She started with the cat's body, piecing together the skeletal structure and fitting the limbs to their sockets. Then, she filled the insides with machine parts, using an old cybercoop battery and a modified tv remote to make the various parts move and switching wires here and there when the wrong piece moved. After that, she made the head and screwed it in place on a pivot point. She made sure the jaw moved as it was supposed to, checked the rotation of the eyes, and built in a response system. She made the hind feet out of the bat kit and pieced together the wings, connecting them to the rest of the structure. After checking they moved as they were supposed to, she scanned the body with her Sqwack, plugged it into her computer, and a pelt of faux white fur appeared in her replicator; already cut to the exact dimensions specified. Max stretched the pelt over the structure and used a glue to seal it up.

Max sat back on her heels and looked down at it; comparing it to the picture she had of Cherit. The resemblance was amazing and she couldn't help but pat herself on the back. But it wasn't finished yet. There were two more things that needed to be done.

Max went back down to the basement and found an old card table – her desk wasn't long enough to hold Cherit's body. She covered the table with an old towel, and laid Cherit's body onto it. Then, with a dongle linking Cherit to her computer, she ran a program list.

_.HACK/169784653/Program_Installation_Software/Owner:Maxanne_Marbles/Species:Cyborg/Serial_Number:8347620276/Select_Program_Options:Write_new_Program/Repair_old_program/Overwrite_Program_

Max selected "Write new program" and waited.

_.HACK/169784653/Write_New_Program_initiated/Begin_writing_now_

Max began typing.

_.Species:Cyber-Titan/Serial_Number:7489324/Name:Cherit  
.Memory_Usage:0%/Browse_for_files/My_Documents:Seekers/2_folders:Magic_Titans/Titans_folder_contains_two_sub-folders:Active_Titans,Extinct_Titans/Download_

The information began immediately downloading. During that process, Max typed in a list of parts which she also downloaded into Cherit's system – doing so would help with later, necessary repairs and a record of the parts and serial numbers used would be useful.

With that all finished, Max performed her nightly mediation routine, then turned in. But not before Echo could pose a question.

"Max, what is that?" She pointed at Cherit who was still plugged into her computer by the dongle.

"Cherit." Max said. "He's the embodiment of an extinct Titan species. I'm going to be training the new Sword-Thane who happens to be a Seeker – just like what we talked about last night. As it turns out, some Seekers had a familiar and most of them were Cherits. Seemed only right to make one since they don't exist any more."

"Oh. Okay." Echo said.

1

The next morning started early for Max. Echo was still sleeping by the time she was finished with breakfast and out the door, snatching the keys to a two-seater cybercoop as she went. But Max couldn't blame Echo for trying to sleep late. The poor girl was suffering from insomnia. Max could only imagine why.

She angled behind the wheel of the coop and took off, informing Motherboard she would be back with Lok in a few hours or so – she didn't know how long she would be on Shangri-La and was just being on the safe side. The drive to Shangri-La was a peaceful one; one that Max enjoyed doing over and over. While she was content to stay at home and do whatever came to mind, she always looked forward to a day when Master Pi would call her back to his site.

But visiting Shangri-La and retrieving Lok weren't the only reasons why she was excited. She was looking forward to getting some answers. And learning more about the second-great-grandfather she barely knew. As usual, Max parked outside the city's gates, grabbed her backpack and tied her usual tools to herself, and headed up the long staircase to the gates. As usual, one of the warriors – Mattimeo – was waiting on the parapet for her. He yelled a greeting and opened the gates.

"Hey, Mayo." Max said. "How's it going?"

"Very well. We are a little exited about you taking Lok under your wing." Mattimeo answered, ignoring her usage of a shortened version of his name.

"Well, I'm excited to get started." Max told him. She shrugged her backpack higher on her shoulder. "Where is Lok, anyway?"

Mattimeo pointed toward the field. "He's there with Master Pi. The master is giving him a blessing and his red belt."

"Ah." Max said.

She thanked the tall warrior and went off in the direction of the field. Once there, she was astonished by the sight that met her:

Master Pi and Red were both in the field and standing before them were two boys. One, Max recognized as Nathan. The other was a stranger with spiky, white-blond hair, pale features, and the bluest eyes she had ever seen on anybody. Both were dressed in Shangrinese apprentice garb and were trading their brown belts in for the red ones Red was holding. Pi was speaking in Vol'kahR and making gestures with his hands. Max knew this as the graduation ceremony. She had undergone eight similar ceremonies, but the red belt ceremony (which was the next to highest honor in colors) was much more elaborate; especially for those moving on to Elite warrior's training.

Once Pi had touched each boy on the forehead and made them take the warrior's oath, he had Red give them their belts and dismissed them. Nathan wandered off to being preparations to train under Red while Pi and Red went across the field to Max's place with the other boy.

"Uh, Master, not to be rude, but who is that?" Max asked, pointing to the strange boy.

"This is Lok." Pi said, simply.

Max stared at Lok. "He doesn't look the way I remember him." She said.

"What you remember seeing him as was an illusion. When he came to Shangri-La, Lok had trouble fitting in with the other pages. I resorted to changing his appearance so the other pages would accept him." Pi answered.

Max continued to stare at Lok. He had a kindly face, bright eyes, untidy hair, and a tough-looking body. The red gi made his light skin color appear almost colorless and the small bag over his shoulder appeared weightless. Max could understand wanting to help Lok fit in. While the warriors were taught acceptance of others, the pages were another matter. Kids were known for being cruel to those different than themselves. Same went for pages who were no less children than any other kid in Cyberspace.

Max extended her hand in greeting. "Pleased to finally meet the real you, Lok." She said, politely.

"Same here, Shield-maiden Max." Lok said. He smiled. He had a nice smile.

Max waved off the title and, just like what she had done with Levi two days ago, she informed him there was no need to address her by her title.

"As you wish." Lok said, obviously having no desire to argue with her on this matter.

"Lok, there are some things I need to discuss with Shield-maiden Max. Go and wait with Mattimeo at the gates." Pi said. "We shan't be long . . . so long as Shield-maiden does not have many questions to ask."

"I might have a few." Max said.

"I was afraid of that." Pi said.

Lok nodded and went off to the gates. Max watched him leave, nodding reprovingly at his obedience. _At least teaching him won't be so hard._ She thought.

"Come, Max." Pi said, turning away.

While the two of them crossed the grounds, Pi allowed Max to ask questions. As promised, he answered them – he had only been reluctant to answer them over the non-secure communication channels. He realized this may have annoyed Max but she didn't seem too upset by being left out of the loop.

"So." Max began. "You're a Plo'BaQ'krum, huh?"

"That is correct."

"And, what does a Plo'BaQ'krum do?"

"We are in charge of keeping the peace. We monitor the use of magic in Cyberspace and we are in charge of ensuring evil does not arise."

"You've been a little lax with that last responsibility." Max said.

"We were not too worried about Hieronymus and his evil works, Max." Pi countered. "He may have done evil deeds to you, but he was no more annoying than a mosquito to the rest of us."

"He was still evil. You could've at least done your job and kept him from performing more bad deeds to the rest of Cyberspace."

"I suppose we could have." Pi agreed. "At least, then, we might have been able to prevent you from having to endure all this psychological trouble."

Max stopped in her tracks. "What makes you think I'm having psychological problems?"

Pi faced her, his kindly brown eyes locked completely on hers. "Because I know you. You were never meant to take a life, Max, whether you think I knew that or not. But you did. You pretend it doesn't bother you, but we both know it does." He extended a hand to Max who stepped away. "I don't suppose you would like to discuss it."

"Not now. I haven't decided how I really feel about it." Max said.

"I see." Pi said. He continued moving. "What else would you like to know?"

"How different are the Gal'an from the Plo'BaQ'krum?"

"We're not all that different from each other. In many senses, we are alike. The primary difference is the fact one uses creatures to do their work and the other uses only magic. Otherwise, we are fundamentally the same."

"Fundamentally? How so?"

"Well, in order to use magic, you must have some type of power source. The batteries or power crystals – like what you and the other cyborgs possess – will not do. The cores in a Gal'an or Plo'BaQ'krum is much bigger. It's like an orb that is full of natural energy – energy it pulls out of our system without depriving us of the power to perform mundane tasks. In some cases, Gal'an can pull energy from their Titans. Titans are nothing more than pure energy. The Plo'BaQ'krum, on the other hand, pull energy from another source. This source is known as a medium."

"And, how do the mediums get energy?"

"Magic actually comes from another world completely different from our own. This is not a parallel universe, Max, so do not think of it as such. No, this world is the foyer to what we refer to as the gates – the source of magic where the Laws of Equivalent Exchange1 take place."

"Equivalent exchange?"

"It's a very simple thing to understand, Max. You have to give something in order to get something. Everything we do has a price which is equal to the value of what we're asking for. In the case of magic, you have to give energy to get a spell to work. The same law applies to Gal'an which is why it is unwise to invoke a Titan or use a spell that will drain you of power. Same is also true for using too much magic or invoking too many Titans."

"Does Lok know this?"

"Lok has been made aware of the Laws of Equivalent Exchange since before he came here. In fact, he was already invoking Titans and using basic spells before I even met him."

"So, you mean he was a Gal'an before he came here?"

"Of course, Max. As I told you, there was only one other Gal'an who was a warrior of Shangri-La."

"Ah yes. Atreyu. My supposed third-great-grandfather."

"It's not supposed, Max. We know for a fact that it's true."

"How?"

Pi smiled at her. They entered the Temple of Records, the place Max suddenly realized Pi was taking her, and meandered the rows and rows of shelves containing the recorded history, language, and war arts of Shangri-La's inhabitants. Max quickly read the titles as she passed. Many of the books and scrolls she read when she was starting out, under supervision of Jethro, her teacher, of course. Pi bypassed them all, coming to a stop in the very back corner of the temple.

"That one." He said, pointing to a leather-bound book sitting on the top shelf.

Max looked at him, crooking an eyebrow in disbelief. "You're kidding, right?" She said.

"No." He said with a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Max studied the book. From her angle, it was almost tall enough to reach her knee and was nearly as wide as she was if she stood sideways. She didn't have to take it down to know that the book was very heavy. And she was almost too short to grab it.

She blew a few raspberries, rising onto her tippy-toes, and grabbed the book; emitting a loud _oof!_ when it came off the shelf and collided with her chest. She struggled to a nearby table and set it down; unable to stop it from banging on the wood when she laid it on the table's surface.

"Careful!" Pi said.

"Careful?" Max said. "This thing weighs forty pounds and you want me to be careful! Have you ever picked this thing up?"

"Yes. And it only weighs twenty-five." Pi corrected.

Max glared at him. "I really hoped you had been joking about this." She said.

"I never joke about history, Max. You should know that."

"You know what? You never joke about anything. So maybe I shouldn't be surprised."

"I do have a sense of humor, Max. Just not about history."

"You know what? I've noticed you've been calling me by my name, lately. Am I not little one any more?"

"You are hardly little any more. Besides, that name is belittling to someone of your position now."

Max thought about it. He had referred to her as "little one" more when she was a kid learning how to be a Shield-maiden. Pages and apprentices, both, were called "little one" because of their size and status among the other warriors. But even when she was a gargoyle, he had called her "little one" even though she was hardly little then either.

"Okay." Max said, clapping her hands together and taking a seat on the low cushion. "Where do we start?"

"At the very beginning is often a good place." Pi said.

"Ah, there's that sense of humor you were talking about." Max teased.

"Be quiet." Pi said, though he was smiling when he said it.

Max chuckled and opened the book open – a task worth mentioning because the book was nearly as wide as she was, twice as much and them some when it was open. Inside were a collection of pictures and text in the Shangrinese alphabet. Thankfully, Max had studied Shangrinese when she first started her training so reading it was no difficult feat for her.

"Geez, there must've been a lot going on then." She said.

"More than you know." Pi said.

"Obviously."

Pi stared at her. Sometimes, Max's smart-aleck attitude could go a little far. Even Pi found his patience being tested by her. "If you are quite finished with the jokes, can we begin?"

"Absolutely."

"Very well." Pi flipped a page. "Now, in the beginning, there were two brothers: Atreyu and Artax. Atreyu was known as the Great Father for it was from him that was born a great many generations of borgs of all kinds. Artax was known as the father of Alchemy."

"Yeah, I think I got that from our telecommunications conversation yesterday." Max put in.

"Very well. We shall discuss your relation to Atreyu." Pi said. "Atreyu and Artax's own origins are unknown. This is the earliest record of Cyberspace we have and some speculate they may not even be from this world."

"You mean . . . you mean they -" Max began.

"They might be human?" Pi finished. "That's exactly what the belief is."

"Then, how -" Max began, again.

"How did they get into Cyberspace before the usage of portals? That, Max, is unknown." Pi finished.

"You know, you're really starting to irritate me. I know you can't read my mind, but you're acting like you can." Max said with a glare.

Pi laughed and ruffled Max's untidy brown hair. When he was done, he withdrew his hand and Max shook her hair back into place. Her dark-brown eyes narrowed to mere slits and Pi knew he was testing her own patience, just as she had his multiple times in the past.

"Continuing." Max said, bringing Pi's concentration back to the history lesson.

"When Atreyu and Artax came to Cyberspace, they began populating this world with cybernetic beings – cyborgs, as we know them now. The brothers taught our predecessors how to live and grow. They gave their descendents the power to expand and told them to multiply. However, it wasn't just knowledge the brothers brought with them. It was also the Titans."

"So, the Titans aren't really from this world either?"

"That is where you are wrong. The Titans were the original inhabitants of Cyberspace, but when Artax and Atreyu came into Cyberspace, a deal was struck."

"What kind of deal?"

"The deal of a lifetime."

Max raised an eyebrow.

"You see, when the brothers came to Cyberspace, they knew this would be an excellent place for life to thrive. The Titans proved that much. But, since the Titans were there first, it wasn't right for the brothers to simply demand for them to leave. In fact, they felt the Titans would be needed at some time in the future. Most of the Titan races agreed to stick around and defend Cyberspace. They agreed to bond themselves with a special kind of person, specifically borgs. At that time, too, Artax had already begun studying Alchemy. He had a variety of jewels made, all of them which bore a slight resemblance to the Titans they were supposed to hold, and trapped each willing Titan inside. The amulets were stored away to either be found by the next generation of Gal'an or given to their descendents."

"So, he trapped only willing Titans. Were there any _unwilling_ Titans?"

"Yes. There was one specific breed who would not bind themselves to anything weaker than themselves. Of course, they saw everyone as being weaker than themselves."

Max, who had been looking at the book and flipping through its pages, looked up at Master Pi when he said this. She was pretty sure she knew where this was going but wanted to hear it from him.

"Yes. The gargoyles are rogue Titans." Pi said.

"They are? But, I never saw anything listed in the archive about the gargoyles!" Max said.

"That is because you weren't looking hard enough." Pi explained. "Or rather, you weren't looking for them at all."

Max was silent and Pi waited. "Explain." She finally said.

"Max, you weren't looking for the gargoyles because you couldn't have known they were Titans. That is a part of our history that was covered up since Siren's time. The Seekers were trying to control the gargoyles because the gargoyles were Titans. Artax had foreseen the gargoyles would revolt and was able to prepare an entire line of gargoyle Titan amulets. However, at that time – or rather, the time before that – they were known by another name. Gar-Ghoul."

Max understood. She _had_ seen the name "Gar-Ghoul" listed in that list somewhere but she wasn't sure if they had been listed under active or extinct Titans.

"Okay, so now we're back to Siren. How exactly do you know he's one of Atreyu's sons?"

Pi reached across in front of Max and peeled back a few pages. Then, he turned the book sideways and tapped the top page with a finger. "Is that proof enough for you?"

It was a family tree. Or rather, a partial family tree. There were no names going past Atreyu and nothing to indicate he had been married or at least had a lover. Atreyu's name was scrawled out in golden letters below the conceptual design of a strong-looking young man with dark hair. There was a line connecting him to a bracket listing the names of six, young borgs. Number six was Siren's. Joining Siren's name was a vertical line with the name Web. After Web's name was the familiar tracery up until Max's name. After that, Max realized the book had recently been updated to include both her and Hieronymus' names.

Max sighed and leaned back. "I suppose. But, how do you know Siren was Atreyu's son? This could've been pure speculation. There was nothing to even show where Siren's own lineage began."

"You're right about that. This could be pure speculation, but it isn't. Is this enough to put your mind at ease?"

Another page flip brought the answer Max was looking for. It was a letter written by Siren to his father, Atreyu.

_July 16  
My dearest father.  
I hope this letter finds you well, though I suppose this is only wishful thinking. Years of using magic and Titans have finally caught up with you, haven't they?  
I'm writing to tell you things I couldn't tell you in person. I'm not sure why that is but there is probably a reason behind it. I know you've always made me to do great things. I'm sure you're none-too-happy with my life's choices so far, are you? After all, you're the guy who came up with a lot of what Cyberspace is all about. I'll probably never measure up to your expectations.  
I want to tell you what I've done so far. I have created a democratic government, designed a computer mainframe with a program known as Motherboard, and I invented a lot of other things. I also have plans to make a son to carry on my own legacy. Sorry I couldn't be a Seeker like you wanted me to be, Dad, it just isn't me. But, at least I'm doing something with my life.  
I know by the time you get this message, you will most likely die in a few days. So, I just wanted to tell you everything. Dad, even though I couldn't live up to your expectations, I want you to know I don't hate you. You made me who I am. Whether or not I was supposed to be a Seeker was completely up to you and you chose my older brothers to do that instead. So, I hope you can just be proud of who I am right now.  
Love, your son, Siren Marbles._

Below the letter from Siren was a letter from Atreyu in response.

_July 19  
Dear Siren.  
My dearest son, I don't know where you came up with the idea that I was unhappy with your life-choices but that is far from the truth. It is true I made you, but I made you for a specific purpose just as you must create things for specific purposes as well.  
When I created you, I knew you were going to be special. The father of something in your own right. I had hoped that you would would, somehow, carry on my own legacy. The Cybersite I picked out for you and your brothers could certainly use you. However, since you have carved your own path, I suppose Cochise can take on that responsibility.  
I have heard a great deal about your achievements. Your brothers, Aang and Rohan, were meant to be Seekers and they have done a great deal as well. But you, you have paved the way for future generations. I am not bluffing when I say your children will look up to you and be very proud of you. Now that you have made a name for yourself, my dearest Siren, I can safely tell everyone I meet "that's my boy" and mean it. I am and always will be proud of you, Siren. That much has always been true. I just hope you learn to realize that.  
Love, your father, Atreyu._

"Master," Max said when she finished reading the letters. "why didn't Siren ever say who his father? Who his family was?"

"Your second-great-grandfather was a rather private person. Not to mention, he was the youngest of six and, therefore, got the worst end of the stick when it came to inheriting things. Aang was the oldest and he was the first borg Seeker in existence and, therefore, inherited his father's Titans. Cochise was next and he inherited the Cybersite Atreyu had chosen for them, Shangri-La – Cochise was the first borg Shangrinese warrior at that time and was the predecessor of all the warriors you see here. Taarlok and Sokka were the third and fourth-born. They disappeared and were never heard from again. The only reason why we know they existed is because of old records listing their names as being descended from Atreyu. Rohan was fifth and he was created because Atreyu felt there should be one more Seeker in the world to carry on his own legacy. Artax handed his Titans over to Rohan when he decided to throw himself deeper into the study of Alchemy.

"Then, there was Siren. Siren was given an overload of intelligence. He was so smart, he could solve any problems placed before him. That, of course, caused a lot of bad blood between himself and his brothers who made fun of him for his intelligence. According to a journal entry by Atreyu, Siren ran away from home and never spoke of his life before everyone else saw him."

"Where did everyone else come from?"

"Oh, they were bits and pieces of unclaimed information. Possibly leftovers from either Artax or Atreyu. Either way, Siren's past was a mystery to them but he refused to speak about it. Siren had trouble reconnecting with his father and his brothers. He felt they didn't understand him, particularly his brothers. He hated his brothers and nearly despised his father who always sided with them when a fight broke out between them."

"Oh. It's a good thing I was an only child, then." Max said.

"You did have a brother, Max." Pi pointed out.

Max glared. "He wasn't my brother." She said. "We might have the same creator but he was never meant to be my brother."

"I sense there is still some tension between you two." Pi said.

"You should understand why. You were one of them that patched me up."

"That is true."

Silence. Somehow, discussing Hacker's relationship with Max always left her rattled.

She looked back at the book and flipped through a few pages. Then, a thought occurred to her. "Master, I have one more question."

"Yes, Max?"

"Are any of the amulets Artax made for the Gar-Ghoul Titans still around?"

Pi was silent as he speculated whether or not to answer this question. After a moment, he nodded. "Yes. Just one."

Before Max could ask where it was or if she could see it, Pi reached into the folds of his robe and withdrew a strange-looking object. It looked like the head of some bird with a five-spiked frill and a purple gem on its forehead. It hung by a thin, black cord which Pi held tight in his grasp.

"I knew your questions would come to this, Max, and I had the foresight to take it out of retirement. This amulet is not to leave Shangri-La. We have kept it safely hidden away on our Cybersite so those foolish enough to challenge the gargoyles wouldn't find it and try to use it. It takes a lot of power and skill to trap a Titan inside an amulet. One must be an Alchemist to do it. And, the bigger and stronger the Titan, the more energy it takes to seal it away."

"So, who actually sealed the Titans? Was it Artax?"

"Absolutely. Atreyu never studied Alchemy nor did he have any interest in Alchemy. That was always Artax's primary interest. So, when the brothers made a pact between themselves and the Titans, it was Artax who sealed them one at a time and he used a special kind of transmutation circle to do it."

"Transmutation circle?"

Pi flipped through a few pages, then pointed it out. "There."

At first, Max didn't know what she was looking at. It looked less like a circle and more like a large tattoo in the ground. There was a circular shape, no doubt, but there were also triangles, a square, and writing around the inside of the circle. Wavy patterns came away from the triangles etched into the edges of the circle and various symbols were spaced between each of the four triangles. Max knew, right away, she wasn't meant to be an Alchemist and decided the transmutation circle was pretty enough just to look at. Even if she didn't understand how it was done.

She glanced out the window for the time. "I should probably be getting going if I want to try Lok out myself." She said.

"Very well. Go ahead and take the book with you." Pi said.

Max nodded and stuffed the book inside her pack.

"Oh, and Max . . . be careful." He added.

She nodded again and hefted the lot to her shoulder; staggering briefly under its weight. She bounced a couple of times to get the book up to a comfortable position then left.

Pi stayed to watch as Max left. The nagging feeling that he may never see her again tugged at the back of his mind. Pi, like his forefather Artax before him, had the gift of foresight. And he didn't like what he was seeing.

0

"So, you're actually going to take me to Control Central with you in hopes of training me?" Lok said as he and Max made their way down to the Cybercoop.

"Yep." Max said.

"Are you sure you won't be distracted by all the stuff there is to do there?"

Max gave him a look. "Listen, kid. I've had a long time to practice not getting distracted by the things that go on around Control Central. Granted, my father may need my assistance at times but he has Digit for that."

She beeped the coop unlocked and plopped the heavy bag between the two seats. Then, when she saw her Sqwackpad laying on the driver's seat, Max was suddenly reminded of what awaited her at home. She grabbed it and activated remote desktop.

"Lok, can I see your right hand, please?" She said.

"My right hand? Why?" He asked, skeptically. He had already stuffed his own bag in the space between the two seats and was lounging on the passenger side of the coop. He looked at her with surprise and Max knew he was going to be difficult.

"Just do it?"

Lok carefully held out his right hand and Max scanned it with her Sqwack, input the data, and sent it on its way.

"What was that for?" Lok asked as Max settled into the driver's seat.

"I have a surprise for you at Control Central." She said.

He perked up, his nice smile replacing the confusion he had earlier. "A surprise? Really? What is it?"

"If I told you that, it wouldn't be a surprise." She said, smiling.

1

It was hot in the warehouse where Ledge, Wicked, and the others met. The fact Ledge had closed the hanger doors and covered the windows over with black trash bags did nothing to help matters any. Sweat formed on Wicked's temples and ran down her pointy nose. She scowled and rubbed her face off with the side of her hand.

"Could we _please_ open a door or a window or something?" She snapped, irritably.

"Nope." Ledge said, deeply enjoying her discomfort. "I like it this way. I don't have to deal with shit from the outside world."

"I can understand that." Wicked said.

"Besides, if I opened a door, the rest of the Site can see what we're up to." Ledge pointed out.

"What are we up to?"

Ledge pointed to the trailer of a flatbed truck which was parked beneath a balcony. The surface of the truck was covered in several long sheets, tie-downs and ratchets held the sheets on. Curiosity got the best of Wicked and she went to investigate it. A smile broke out on her narrow features when she saw the piles of equipment and she knew exactly what they were for having studied quite a bit of history while becoming a witch.

"Oh, you are one nasty little bugger." She said. She rubbed her hands together, eager to begin.

Ledge opened a cooler and took out a can of soda. "You want to be involved with that, you need to do something for me." He said, opening the can and taking a long, noisy sip. "You know what that is." He added.

She frowned, staring at the tall, dark-haired boy before her. "I don't know if I can do that." She said. "You don't look like you're meant to be a magician. You probably don't even have the right core to do this."

"Don't worry about the core. I want you to teach me Alchemy." He said, angrily.

"Learning Alchemy means you would need a medium. Do you already have a medium picked out?" She asked.

Ledge scowled and set his can down. Then, he rolled back the sleeve of his white t-shirt and showed her a band around his left wrist. A red gem clearly visible over the leather which was the exact shade as the jewel the gem was set in. "Is this good enough for you?"

Wicked gasped. "Where the hell did you get that?" She said.

"Never mind that!" He snapped. "Is this good enough for a medium?"

"Yes. But do you have any idea what that is? What it holds?"

"Of course I know. I wouldn't have gone through the trouble of obtaining it if I didn't know."

"You are treading dangerous water with that thing, boy." Wicked warned.

"Save me the lecture. I helped you get out of prison and I can put you back just as easily. Now, start teaching."

Wicked knew there was just no reasoning with him. She sighed. "Very well, show me what you know."

* * *

1 Laws of Equivalent Exchange – FullMetal Alchemist


	7. Start of a SwordThane's Training

_Chapter Seven. I had a little bit of trouble figuring out how to write this one because the chapter-that-nobody-is-going-to-like was still playing ring-around-the-rosey in my head and WOULDN'T LEAVE! Anyway, it's all written out and so are the chapters after it which means, after this one there will be a 4 or 5 chapter update.  
_

_This one was going to be a little bit longer but with the other four-five chapters already plugged in, i have a total of 108 pages already typed out. The other three cyberchase fanficts were not even close to being this long so i don't know what the deal is unless i just can't stop typing. So, yeah. I'm getting a few things worked out here and there and, thankfully, i have my lovely partner, Kawaii Stella, to chat with on facebook when i get stuck on certain scenes with echo. so far, it's been pretty easy.  
_

**Dis****claimers: **I_ don't own Cyberchase_._ Max is mine. Echo belongs exclusively to Kawaii Stella and her story Picking up the Broken Glass. I am also NOT an expert on Tai Chi. I did learn a few forms here and there when i was in an Avatar: The Last Airbender craze. But that was a few years ago and the only forms i can remember are "hold the ball" and "pet the ponies". Also, the only reason why i know the terms in a family tree is because my dad took up the role of geneologist for a time and we've managed to trace my family tree back to john hart and benjamin rush (two signers of the declaration of independence) as being my seventh great grandpas. so, yeah. i did a little bit of geneology in 4-h and thats about it._

_Enough of my rambling. Let's get on with the chapter. So here is chapter seven. i hope it is up to your expectations.  
_

* * *

Chapter Seven  
Start of a Sword-Thane's Training

When they arrived at Control Central, the first thing the two warriors noticed was the sound of yelling coming from the housing sector. Max had taken Lok to the Control Center and introduced him to Motherboard when the yelling began. Max rolled her eyes in a _what now?_ expression as she recognized one of the voices as being Digit.

"Hey! Get back here!"

"Leave me alone!"

"What's going on?" Motherboard asked.

"I think Digit's discovered my little project." Max said.

Sure enough, the control room doors hissed open and a ball of feathers and fur rolled around on the floor. One was Digit trying to hold on to the white, furry mass, who was, in turn, trying to get away from the clingy cyboid. The human, Echo, was right behind them. But it looked like she wasn't sure whether or not to get involved.

"Didge, let him go." Max said, calmly.

"He's an intruder!" Digit protested, grabbing onto the "intruder's" foot and hauling him back.

"No he's not, Didge. Now let him go." Max said.

Her tone was so stern that Digit actually released the creature. It flew away from the cyboid and latched onto Max's raised forearm; folding its wings across its back. It glared down at Digit with an I-told-you-so look. Digit scowled in return.

Lok reached out and touched the creature on the head. "Who is this?" He asked.

"_This _is your familiar, Lok." Max said. "Meet Cherit. Cherit, this is your master, Lok."

"My familiar?" Lok said. "I didn't know Seekers had familiars."

"According to Master Pi they do. The familiars also happened to be a species called Cherit." Max said.

"A Cherit. I've never heard of one." Lok said. "Is he actually a Titan?"

"No. He's a cyber-titan. Meaning, he's a Titan I made from a kit. That's all. But I filled his memory with the Seeker Database I managed to find in the Cybrary." Max said. She held out her forearm, offering Cherit to Lok. "It would please me if you'd take him."

Lok stared at Cherit, unsure of what to say or do. After a minute of looking at Cherit, Lok decided it couldn't hurt to have a familiar whose mind was full of information on Seekers. He held out his arm to Cherit and the little creature fluttered to his arm.

"Pleased to meet you, Cherit." Lok said.

"Pleased to meet you, too, Lok." Cherit said. His voice was rough and high-pitched. Despite that, it was a nice voice and Lok took an immediate liking to him.

"His prerogative is to serve and advise you in the choices you make. But, he also makes a good friend." Max said.

"Thanks, Max." Lok said.

"You're welcome. I just made him yesterday and activated him this morning. That's what the hand print scan was for. I was leaving your signature in his circuits." Max said.

"I was wondering what that was all about."

There was silence. Then, Max introduced Echo and Digit; explaining that Echo was a visitor from Earth and Digit was a friend and a helper to Dr. Marbles.

"Speaking of Dr. Marbles, where is Dad, Motherboard?" Max added.

"He went to Cybersite Eureka to discuss a few things with Professor Archimedes." Motherboard answered. "He'll be back later tonight."

"Okay." Max said. She picked up Lok's bag. "I'm going to take Lok for a tour around Control Central."

Motherboard said that was okay and told her to keep him out of Marbles' workshop. Max nodded and said, "Will do."

As they made their way down the housing sector, Max gently pulled Echo in. "Did you let Cherit off the dongle?"

Echo barely flinched at the contact and nodded. "Yeah. Sorry, I didn't know whether or not to let him off. But he kept pulling at it and I was afraid it would break."

"That's okay." Max said, letting her go. "I wanted him to meet Lok right when we arrived, anyway."

"Who is he, anyway?" Echo asked.

"He's my new apprentice."

"You're apprentice? But you're just -"

"Seventeen. In our world, age doesn't really matter. I was three when I started learning how to be a Shield-maiden. I was seven when all the abuse started."

Echo looked stunned at this revelation. The fact someone could start a rigorous training schedule that young wasn't too hard to believe – it was easier to learn things at a young age. But the fact she had been abused starting at the age of seven was much much harder to believe.

"Can I ask you something?" Echo asked.

"Sure." Max said after a long few minutes of silence. She was trying to figure out what could possibly be on Echo's mind.

"Who was Hieronymus to you?"

Lok gave Max a sideways glance. Apparently he was curious to know the answer, too.

Max sighed. "He was, essentially, my brother."

"Really?" Lok said. He looked surprised.

"Yeah. My father made both myself and Hieronymus Hacker. But Hieronymus was more of an assistant to him and less of a son. I was really his child. The only reason why Hieronymus was so abusive to me was because I was the first to stop him in his attempts to take over Cyberspace." Max said.

"That's awesome!" Lok said.

Echo gave him a strange look, then turned her gaze back to Max. "What all did he do to you?" She asked.

Max was silent for a while. "I'd rather not talk about it." She said. Talking about it kind of required her to think of the thing she did to him in return. And that was just something she preferred not to think about.

"Oh." Max said.

"Come on! What's to tell? I mean, he must've done _something_ for you to kill him." Lok said.

Echo looked surprised. Max could only guess what was going on in the human's head. She was probably wondering how or why Max could even want to kill someone.

Max didn't waste a glare in Lok's direction. "I said I didn't want to discuss it. Please, don't bring it up again."

"Okay. I'm sorry." Lok said. He shrugged his pack higher onto his shoulder. "I didn't know you were going to be so touchy about that."

Max wheeled around in front of Lok. He was only about three-quarters as tall as she was. He had to tilt his head back to look her in the eye.

"Listen, boy, because I'm only going to say this once. Killing someone is _not_ acceptable. Yes, I rid Cyberspace of an evil presence but I don't want to hear anyone praising me for something I didn't really want to do.

"You think this is funny? You think killing someone is all fun and games? IT'S NOT! It hurts! It messes with you on the inside! You feel dirty. You feel disgusting. You can't look at yourself in the mirror the same way. Why? Because your hands are stained with someone else's oil, that's why. You kill someone and you have to live the rest of your warranty knowing they're gone because you did the deed make them gone. Don't ever think of this as being funny, because it's not.

"Now, I promised Master Pi I would train you and I intend to do just that. But if you expect me to teach you the easiest way of killing someone without the guilt, then you're looking at the wrong person. Because I'm here just to show you the way to being a Sword-Thane. That's all. Now, I can make this as easy or hard as you want it but it's completely up to you. But don't expect me to teach you how to kill people without mercy."

Lok nodded, her speech driven home very hard. "Okay, Max. I understand." He said.

"Good. Consider that your first lesson. Second lesson is **'Never do anything out of vengeance. Allow your actions to be motivated through the means of protecting something precious to you.'**"

"Got it." Lok said.

"Good." Max waved her hand in front of a scanner and the doors hissed open. "Here's your room. This is where you will sleep, meditate, and conduct all communications. Private bath is through those doors there. Towels and wash cloths are in the linen closet. Toothpaste and floss are in the drawer. You'll be responsible for keeping this whole area clean. That computer terminal is for research and telecommunications only."

Lok looked around, nodding reprovingly. Then, he set his bag on the bed and began unpacking. He put his clothes – most of which were the red gis from Shangri-La, others were short-sleeve, v-neck shirts, cargo pants, and a set of pocketed arm warmers – away in the drawer. From the front pocket of his bag, he pulled out a rectangular box which he placed by his terminal. And from the bottom of the largest pocket in the bag, came a small box which resembled a treasure chest, which he placed on the bedside table.

Max, having gotten the rant out of her system, approached the desk. "What is this?" She asked.

"Oh. That's my Cypherdex." Lok said. "It contains information on all the Titans in existence as well as any spells I may or may not know."

Echo looked confused. "Titans? Spells? You mean, you're a magician?"

Lok smiled at her. "Not quite. I'm what everybody on Shangri-La calls a Gal'an. It means Seeker in the Shangrinese Vul'kahR dialect."

"Seekers have the ability to use spells and monsters called 'Titans'." Cherit explained.

Max grinned, pleased her creation had already started on his advising purposes. She was glad to know the hours of constructing the Cherit hadn't gone to waste.

Echo nodded, the confusion gone from her face.

"C – can I see one of these Titans?" She asked.

"Sure." Lok said, smiling proudly. He opened his chest and pulled out an amulet and held it aloft between his thumb and forefinger. "Fire Kappa!"

Immediately, in a globe of reddish light, a red-skinned, frog-like creature materialize. It stood on its hindlegs, its hands and feet were webbed. And the top of its head was alight with a scarlet and gold fire. It hunched over the carpet, looking between its invoker and the two girls looking at it with astonishment.

"Fire Kappa is a relatively easy Titan to invoke. So are Hoplites, but there's usually three of them that pop out of an amulet at once. I wanted something small and less frightening. Fire Kappa seemed like the best choice." Lok explained.

"Well, he certainly looks harmless." Echo said.

"Oh, believe me, he's not as harmless as he looks. Only when I'm calm is he ever harmless." Lok countered.

Max peered into his chest. "What other Titans do you have?"

"In total, I have 60 Titans. Ten Gaia and Krono, nine Draco, eight Hecto, Litho, and Yama, four Meso, and three Swara." Lok answered.

"What does that even mean?" Echo asked.

"Draco, Gaia, Hecto, Krono, Litho, Meso, Swara, and Yama are all types of Titans there are out there. They are usually centered around a theme or a mythology of some kind. Draco is like Arthurian types. Gaia is Celtic. Hecto is Egyptian. Krono is Greek. Litho is primarily Norse. Meso is Native American. Swara is like demonic or venomous. And Yama are all Asian." Lok explained. "You might actually get along quite well with my Celtic types since both of you are from Irish myth."

"Don't say that." Echo said, eyes flashing and voice dangerous. "I'm not Irish. I'm from Scotland."

Lok's grin faded and he inclined his head politely. "My apologies. I'm unfamiliar with the nationalities of Earth. Of course, I naturally assumed you were from Ireland."

"There is a difference." Echo said.

"Of course." Lok said, agreeing with her. He revoked Fire Kappa and placed the amulet back inside his chest before closing the lid. "Again, my apologies. I won't bring it up again."

"Good." Echo said, walking away in a huff.

Lok watched her go. "What's her problem?"

"Well, for one, you confused her nationality with one that's fairly close but not close enough for it to be considered a compliment. And, two . . . well, she's been through a lot. Probably a lot more than I've been through. I'm sure you've heard about half of it already from the warriors." Max said.

"I've heard some." Lok said. "Not all of it though. I don't suppose you want to get into it, do you?"

"Not even a little."

"You sure there's no chance you'd want to talk about it?"

"No chance in any part of Cyberspace."

"Didn't think so."

"Why do you want to know so badly?"

"Because I wanna know what your reasons were for destroying The Hacker!" Lok protested. "Is it really that difficult to understand!"

"He was an evil borg whose most evil intentions were to destroy Motherboard, our last chance at peace. If I hadn't destroyed him, he would've thrown my family and our friends into the nearest black hole. Then, he would've deleted Motherboard and you would've been serving under him as a bodyguard or a bounty hunter – which ever he finds most useful _if_ he finds you useful at all, that is."

Lok shuddered.

"Yeah. Is that a good enough answer for you?"

He nodded.

"Okay then." Max said. She leaned against the wall and regarded the nine-year-old boy, shrewdly. "Now, your Sword-Thane's training starts bright and early tomorrow. 6:30 a.m. in fact. You're going to start the morning by first meditating. If you don't want to meditate, Tai Chi works too, but either way, you're going to loosen up and get your mind ready for the day's events. Digit goes to the kitchen at six to get breakfast ready but we won't eat until after we're done with the meditation."

"Um, can you and I do it together?" Lok asked.

Max nodded. "If you want a partner, we can do that too."

"Okay." Lok said, smiling.

"After breakfast, I usually go up to the Holo-dome to practice my Hapkido. In this case, I can work on my Hapkido skills later. I'm going to spend about two hours teaching you how to be a Sword-Thane. The best way to do that is to spar with each other."

"I've done plenty of sparring with the other warriors." Lok whined.

"Not with this warrior." Max pointed out. "I'm not like the other warriors."

"Yeah. I noticed."

"I mean besides my background and appearance."

Lok cocked his head at her. "What else can there – oh, you mean because you were a gargoyle, is that it?"

"That's not all. You'll find out tomorrow." Max said, forestalling further questions.

"Okay. What else do we do?"

"Well, I usually help my dad around Control Central with a few repairs and chores. But you can do what you like. Meditate, practice using your Titans, work some more in the Holo-dome. I can set up a few programs for you if you'd like."

"That works."

"Okay. Oh, one more warning, if you happen to use any of your scout Titans, keep them out of repair stations and especially the control center while repairs are being made. We're a little weird with security when it comes to Motherboard."

"Understandable."

"Great." Max smiled. "I can't wait to get started."

1

True to her word, Max started her training regiment with Lok the very next morning. The night before, however, was spent discussing what she had learned on Shangri-La with her father and showing him the twenty-five pound book she had obtained from the library. Marbles was more than enthused to learn more about the great-grandfather he knew almost nothing about.

Once Max plopped the book on the kitchen's tabletop, Marbles nearly hyperventilated with the idea of learning more. If there was anything Marbles liked more than inventing things, it was gaining new knowledge. Especially knowledge about his family tree.

He wasn't surprised to learn that Siren was actually the son of Atreyu, though Max had been more than surprised that Marbles had actually heard of the obscure Seeker when she hadn't. When Marbles explained that Atreyu and Artax were actually the founders of Cyberspace, it made a little more sense to her that he would know who they were.

"So, why didn't you know that great-great-grandpa Siren was Atreyu's son?" Max asked.

"Because there were other beings in Cyberspace, Max." Marbles said, giving her a squeeze. "Also, your grandpa, Net, always told me that Siren never spoke of his past. Least of all his father or brothers."

He flipped through the book until he came to the family trees themselves. There was an entire section on family trees and even pages and pages of pedigrees suggesting links to possible family members. The pedigrees were bunched together after family trees, and each tree had a different son of Atreyu and Artax at the top; listing their children, grandchildren, and so on. Marbles paused when he saw Siren's tree, absolute proof that this _was_ the great-grandfather he had only heard about. And he discovered the last name, Marbles, had been a fluke; a name adopted by Siren as a way of throwing everyone off the scent of who his family was.

"This is fascinating." Marbles said. "The fact that we are directly descended from the founders of Cyberspace is a great piece to the understanding of where we've come from."

"It is?" Max asked, skeptically.

"Of course it is. It means there's more to our family than you and I could ever realize. Oh, this is excellent finally knowing who we are and where we've come from."

Max placed her hand over the book to catch her father's attention. "Dad, keep in mind this doesn't say anything about where Atreyu and Artax actually came from. So, even if we know Siren is the youngest son of Atreyu, we still have a dead end."

"That much is true, Max." Marbles said, nodding in agreement. "However, despite the fact that we have no pedigree and no knowledge of where the brothers came from, at least we know that we have a family."

"I'm not sure I follow."

"Think about it, Max. Atreyu had six sons – one of which was Siren, our ancestor. Artax had at least two sons, according to this. Despite Siren's continued silence about his family the five other sons of Atreyu and the two sons of Artax had descendents, which means we have cousins out there in Cyberspace we don't even know about.

"Our family has always been so small. Siren had only one son and so did Web. But when my father came into position as Motherboard's Chief Engineer, he made two sons – myself and Cooper. Only through Net had our family tree even doubled. Even I went as far as to make a 'son'."

"Dad, don't start thinking of Hieronymus as a son." Max pointed out.

He smiled at Max. "I'm sorry. It is true that he was never meant to be my son. But the fact he wreaked so much havoc – and almost killed you thrice in the process – makes me all the more responsible for bringing him into this world."

"Don't worry about it, Dad." Max said.

Marbles tapped the book with a finger. "Do you mind if I take this to my room and study it?"

Max shrugged. "It's fine with me. Master Pi gave me permission to bring it home."

Marbles smiled and closed the book. Having not handled it before now, he was nearly floored by how heavy it was. He let out a long breath of air as he hefted the tome and pressed it to his chest. Max smiled, knowingly.

"Look out, it's heavy." She said.

"No kidding." Marbles said. "You could've warned me ahead of time."

"Sorry. It's heavy."

Marbles rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Max." He said, sarcastically, struggling to make it to the housing sector.

0

The next morning, Lok awoke strictly at twenty-til six. He brushed his untidy, white-blond hair, changed into his red gi and tightened the red cloth belt around his waist. Then, after snatching up his box of amulets, he headed to Max's room. He was surprised to see that Echo was there and that both were already on the third form of Tai Chi.

"Good morning, Lok." Max said. "You can either jump in with Tai Chi or you can meditate. Pick your choice."

"Tai Chi." Lok said, setting his chest down. He stood on Max's other side and fell directly into the fourth form. Max shot him a look and he started over with the first form.

"Next time, try to get here sooner." She said. "That is, if you want to do it with us again."

"I thought you said six-thirty." Lok protested.

"I did say six-thirty. It's six-thirty-five now."

"Oops. I didn't realize it took me so long to get ready."

"Next time, get ready _after_ the mind-calming segment of your training. I don't care if you come over here in your nightshirt, just get over here."

"I sleep in my underwear." Lok said, embarrassed.

Max was silent as she absorbed this and Echo muttered a low "Eww!" Max cracked a smile. "Okay, throw on a t-shirt or something, but don't be late."

"Right, Master." He said.

"Lesson number three: don't call me master or Shield-maiden. Just Max. That's my name and that's all I'll answer to." Max added.

"Something to remember." Lok said, easing back into the third form.

They were silent for the rest of Tai Chi. By the time Lok had even finished with the second round of forms, Max and Echo were already getting ready for the rest of the day. Then, the three kids headed to the kitchen before Max and Lok went to the Holo-dome. There, their training began.

1

The effort it took for Ledge to learn Alchemy was considerably much easier than Wicked had expected. Apparently, Ledge had learned a great deal about Alchemy before hand. He understood the construction of a Transmutation circle and how the formula for each circle differed depending on what the Alchemist wanted to do. But the fact he was able to draw power from the amulet on his wrist concerned Wicked and she wondered whether he actually knew what was in that amulet or not.

Fact was, Ledge did know what was in the amulet which was why he had worked so hard to obtain it. He knew it was a fearsome beast, a Titan of great power who had caused a great deal of nightmares across Cyberspace many years ago. Ledge had accidentally come across a very small reference to the Titan in one of the Alchemy books he was studying. The article had been about sealing circles and one particular circle was said to be strong enough to hold Warren the Genie inside his bottle as well as the monster who had once served him.

Curious to know what that monster was, Ledge traveled to Barterum, Warren's homesite, and located the cave where Warren was said to be. After much prodding and prompting, Ledge finally got Warren to tell him about the Titan that had once served under him. Warren told Ledge all he knew about the Titan and the more Ledge heard about it, the more he wanted it under his control. Upon asking the whereabouts of the Titan, he learned it had been stored away inside the vaults below Frogsnorts Academy of Magic. Not wanting for it to be traced back to him, Ledge erased Warren's memory of the event. Then began his plans to obtain the amulet.

First, he put his name in at Frogsnorts for consideration. After a few months of being wait-listed, Ledge was finally accepted. He wasted no time finding his way down underground and breaking the circle over the vault. After that, the amulet was his and the Titan bonded with him.

Ledge had to keep the fact he had stolen the amulet a secret in his duration at the Academy. But he soon grew tired of the rules they pressed on him and began causing problems for the instructors there. Fed up with his lack of respect, Ledge was booted out of the school and his wand snapped in half. But Ledge took something with him from the school, uncertain whether it would work as a medium. Though, much to his relief, Wicked had confirmed that he could draw energy from the Titan within to counteract the Equivalent Exchange rule.

"The only thing it _won't _do is save you from Equivalent Exchange when you attempt to perform tabooed Alchemy." Wicked told him on his first day of in-depth Alchemy instruction.

"Tabooed Alchemy? I thought Alchemists could do what they wanted." Ledge said.

"They can do what they like except bring the dead back to life. The price for such an attempt is never the same twice and the result is usually very grave." Wicked pointed out.

"Ah." Ledge said, agreeing. _So that explains why Wicked hasn't tried to bring Hacker back to life yet._ He thought. "Very well. I have no one I want to bring back from the dead so that won't be a problem."

"Fine." Wicked said. "Let us continue."

Over the course of a few weeks, Ledge had learned the basic and advanced principles to Alchemy. He also learned how to properly construct an intricate Transmutation circle, with Wicked explaining that the circles are temperamental and if any mistake was made in any part of the circle, the spell would either not work at all or will backfire. The results of such a backfire were devastatingly horrible.

By the third week, Ledge had learned enough about Alchemy to start on his plans for Cyber-domination. But first, he needed to put into action a string of events to aid him in his quest. One of these things was to be rid of the Human intruder, Echo Glasgow, and the Shield-maiden who defeated Hieronymus Hacker.

_It's a good thing I have minions to do the dirty work for me._ Ledge thought with an evil smile.


	8. Vortex to Another World

_Chapter eight. here's the four-chapter update i was promising. i've got some things figured out and they'll be up as soon as i finish with some updates.  
_

_I don't own Cyberchase_._ Max is mine. Echo belongs exclusively to Kawaii Stella and her story Picking up the Broken Glass. I should probably also mention that Lok is not mine. Nor is Llamas in Hats which is one of the videos i go to when i need a laugh but i don't feel like laughing at something light and fluffy.  
_

* * *

Chapter Eight  
Vortex to a Parallel Universe

Over the few months that passed, Max and Lok had developed a better understanding for each other. In particular, Lok had developed an understanding about which spells were acceptable during their skirmishes and which weren't. Especially when Max was in gargoyle form.

Lok's first morning of training, Max brought Lok up to the Holo-dome and activated a platform program. Then, she faced her apprentice.

"Okay. This is how it's going to work. I will make several attempts to 'kill' you and you will try to defend yourself."

"Not a problem." Lok said, smugly.

"Ah, that's what you think." Max said, returning his smug grin. "But, I'm not going to make it easy for you. You see, I'm not going to be attacking you in this body."

Lok cocked his head at her. "Explain."

Max smiled. Then, she fell forward onto her hands as her knees reversed directions and her toes curled in on themselves and pads formed on her palms and soles. A tail flicked out from her haunches, wings separated from her shoulders, a ridge rippled down her back just as scales formed all the way down her body, face bulged out and mouth filled with fangs, ears slid up to the top of her head, and horns grew out of her forehead. Within moments, the borg Lok had come to be comfortable with was replaced with a white monster.

"You mean – you mean you can turn back into a Gar-Ghoul Titan?" Lok asked.

Max was stunned. "I'm surprised you know about what the gargoyles really are." She said.

"Just doing my research." Lok said.

"Yeah well, your only hope for capturing me is in an amulet and, as far as I'm concerned, there are no Gar-Ghoul Titan amulets." She was lying, of course, but figured it was best to leave out the fact Master Pi had a Titan's amulet in his possession. "Keep in mind, this is merely what I look like on the outside. This does not change my mental capabilities in any way, shape, or form. So do _not_ treat me like a dumb animal."

"Got it. Anything else?"

"Yeah. You can use any Titans and spells you want to beat me. However, there are two exceptions. Do _not_ use Boltflare and especially don't use King Basilisk."

"Why not?"

"Boltflare is concentrated lightning. Electricity is deadly to a gargoyle. In this form, I am more vulnerable to dying by electric attacks than I am as a borg. I'd rather not die yet so do refrain from using electric attacks." Max explained.

"And, what about King Basilisk?"

Max gave him a look. "I know about his petrifying stare. I'd rather not be turned into stone either. If you so much as think about invoking him, I _will_ whack you."

"Got it." Lok said. He was looking at Max's claws and tail when he said that, noting the sharpness and thinking about how much damage either could inflict.

"Okay. Let's get started." Max said.

The two sparred together for two hours. Lok sent Titan after Titan after her. Predictably, he only sent the biggest and strongest Titans he possessed after her and Max was able to beat them with only her claws, teeth, horns, and tail for protection.

"Don't just pick a Titan because of its size. You'll need agility and power if you expect to beat a gargoyle." She pointed out.

With that, Lok resorted to sending in Hecto-style Titans. Especially Dark Pharaoh whose major power was the ability to launch dark balls of energy at a target; causing Max to avoid them if she didn't want to find out what they could do.

"Work with your Titans. Don't just stand there making him do all the work. Use some spells." Max said when Lok had been idle for too long.

"Oh, right. Augerfrost!" He shouted, sending a blast of cold energy at his cyborg-gargoyle teacher.

Max deftly avoided the rush of cold energy; catapulting off the platforms and scaling walls. Years of training under Jethro, Red, and holographic warriors helped her with survival skills. But even Lok with his inexperienced blundering was being a bit of a challenge to her.

Annoyed with the fact he couldn't get her, Lok mistakenly fired off a Boltflare spell, which barely even nicked Max's shoulder. A flash of anger rolled through her at Lok's apparent disregard for her rules. Anger which was soon replaced by a sudden memory: cables, chains, cattle prods, a generator spouting off large voltages of power; Max tied to the floor, unable to move, as the electricity lanced through her body.

Without thinking, Max dropped to the floor, drifted out of gargoyle form, and crouched there with her hands on her head.

"Get out. Get out. _Get out!_" She hissed, trying to force the bad images from her mind.

Lok stared at her a moment with Dark Pharaoh floating next to him, not knowing what to think. He knew he hadn't touched her with his Boltflare spell, which he had fired off without thinking. But the fact she was now sitting on the floor, hunched over like that, concerned him. Her breathing was increasing, rapidly, and he knew he had made a grave mistake.

He slowly approached her, and as directed by his Seeker, Dark Pharaoh remained where he was. "Max, I'm sorry." He said.

Max whirled on her heels and pinned Lok to the wall; hand twisting the neck of his tunic and her face next to his. Dark-brown eyes blazing.

"I told you not to use Boltflare! You could've killed me! Next time, _think_ before you fire off a high-powered attack like that!" She growled in warning.

"I said I was sorry." Lok said.

"That's not good enough. A Sword-Thane cannot attack on spur-of-the-moment impulses like that. Doing so will only cost him the lives of his comrades. Same goes for a Shield-maiden. You have to think about what you're doing before you do it. Now, I told you not to use Boltflare because I was in gargoyle form. Do it again and not only could you kill me, but I will have your apprenticeship revoked for not listening."

Lok was flabbergasted now. "You can't do that! What about your promise to Master Pi?"

"He would understand. Remember, Lok, you have to be able to obey orders as well as think. I don't know if Red or the master have been lax in their rules with you – with you being a Seeker and all – but I won't tolerate insubordination. You can use Boltflare anytime in a battle when I'm not a gargoyle."

Lok understood. He had been too rash when he sent that spell after her. Out of all the spells in his arsenal, that one could be the most deadly to her.

"Okay. I won't do it again."

"Good." Max said. She released his shirt and let him off the wall. She retook gargoyle form and leaped onto a platform. "Now try it again."

Since the incident with Boltflare, Lok had become reluctant to use it again. Max's threat to revoke his apprenticeship with her struck him hard and he knew she wasn't joking. But what struck him harder was the fact she had had what could only be described as a panic attack after his spell nearly touched her. And Lok was led to believe it was due to the events in her past she refused to talk about.

The fact had a panic attack was proof in itself to Lok that there really was something bothering Max. On the outside, she seemed fine; joking around with Digit in the kitchen while they quoted their favorite TV shows, movies, or a video on viewtube1 they had seen a hundred times, or even shared a song. She was able to share a joke with Dr. Marbles from time to time and that always brought about a round of belly laughs. But Lok couldn't help but feel Max's sense of humor was a little dark. He hadn't met her before all of this and didn't have anything to compare it to, but he was sure there was something very much wrong with her on the inside. Maybe quoting jokes with Digit was her way of relieving the stress of past events. Like the time they were in the kitchen making a pizza together. Max and Digit launched into a two-sided dialogue of a video they had seen called Llamas in Hats. Because of the time it took to actually make the pizza, they were only able to quote one part of the video. The last part.

It started out with them rolling out the dough. Then, Digit started on his schpeel by looking at the clean floor.

"Caryl! You've tracked mud all over the carpet!"

Max immediately caught on. "Now that right there is a mess."

"I just had it cleaned yesterday, Caryl." Digit continued.

"I am not responsible for this. I have been jamming on the saxophone all morning."

"They're clearly your hoofprints, Caryl."

"Then there is an imposter on the loose." Max said with a mischievous grin.

"They lead directly to you!" Digit said, sounding a little annoyed.

"Clue number one – the imposter is a phantom." Max said, her smile deepening.

"Caryl! Stop avoi -"

Max made an explosion sound with her mouth which sounded oddly realistic.

"CAAAAAAAARRRRRRYYYYYLLLLL!" Digit continued, drawing out the name as long and as loud as he could.

"Happy birthday!" Max said, holding up glob of pizza dough which oddly resembled a muffin.

"It's not even my b – Please tell me you had nothing to do with this!" Digit said, eyeballing the muffin.

"Why don't you blow out your candle?" Max said, stuffing a random candle from the counter top into the muffin.

"You've gone too far this time, Caryl." Waving a doughy pinion feather in the air under Max's nose.

"What's that? It's hard to hear you over the sound of melting city!"

"How did you even _do_ this?"

"A dollop of fairy dust." Max said, matter-of-factly with a smug grin.

"Caryl." Digit said, warningly.

"I ripped the tag off a mattress!"

"This isn't funny, Caryl!"

"Who's laughing? Clearly not the all the people who just exploded."

"I'm leaving. I've had enough of this."

"But think of all the perfectly roasted faces we'll get to munch on, now." Max added, pleadingly, as she molded a face out of dough.

"What? Why?" Digit looked disgusted.

"Because we're friends, and friendship is two pals munching on a well-cooked face together."

"That isn't friendship, Caryl! That's sick!"

"Well then, you're probably not going to like your birthday decorations." Max said, looking up.

"It's not even my -" Digit followed her gaze. "- oh my God!"

"Surprise!"

"Oh no! Ahhh!"

"I'm sorry. I thought you liked faces. Obviously there is a miscommunication here." Max said, shrugging apologetically.

"This is awful, Caryl." Digit said, still blanching.

"You're right. It's not quite as tasteful as I had it pictured in my head."

"I think I'm going to throw up – oh God! One touched me!"

"This was clearly the wrong way to go."

"You _think,_ Caryl?"

"What can I say? I expected them to be cooked more. Raw face is just gross."

"That isn't the problem, Caryl! Why did you think any of this was a good idea?" Digit asked, in a voice that demanded an explanation.

"Probably because I'm a dangerous sociopath with a long history of violence." Max said, matter-of-factly.

A moment of silence. "Oh."

"I don't understand how you keep forgetting that."

"Wow." Lok said, leaning against the counter with his arms across his chest. "Now I want to rip the tag off a mattress just to see what happens."

Max turned around with a fork in hand and shook it in Lok's direction. "If Control Central blows up or if Cyberspace gets sucked into a black hole, I am going to personally blame you."

"Okay. Never mind then." Lok said. Meanwhile,

Echo was sitting on the other side of the counter, sketching out the kitchen scene. Since drawing things from memory had finally run it's course, she had resorted to roaming the halls of Control Central and drawing what she saw. The result was a nearly-full notebook of images that she colored in back at the room.

Echo smiled at the thought of Lok ripping the tag off a mattress, as she sketched out his relaxed but guarded posture against the counter; taking care to make sure his wild, untidy hair was perfectly drawn as well as trying to get in the curves of his cheek bones and the contours of his eyes. Lok had been an interesting character to draw, especially with Cherit draped across his shoulders like a winged cat as he was now. Even his skirmishes with Max (which she had been allowed to sit in and watch a few times) had proved to be quite interesting. Max had even allowed Echo to sit in during one of her holographic Hapkido matches which resulted in a few pages of professionally drawn images she was allowed to glance through afterward.

0

"You're being a little lax in your promise to deliver the goods, Ledge." Said the image in the magic mirror the pale-eyed boy had been able to obtain. "I've expected Echo Glasgow to be back here, by now. What is keeping you from getting her here?"

"Sorry, Ledge. I've been . . . delayed." The boy answered, guiltily. His business partner was getting antsy, that much was certain.

"I'm tired of waiting. You promised to have Echo back in my world soon. That promise took place four months ago. Now, are you any closer to getting her here or not?" The image spat, pale-blue eyes blazing with an uncontainable fury. Ledge knew he was getting close to aggravating this dangerous boy and there would be no escaping his wrath.

"A minor alteration in plans. I've been busy with my own set of plans. You'll have Echo Glasgow in your possession soon enough." Ledge said as a way of appeasing his alter-ego.

"You said that four months ago."

"Patience, Ledge. I will make good on my promise in due course."

"Do it quickly. I'm running out of patience, Ledge. I expect Echo back here by the end of the week. If you don't deliver her to my world by then, I will send a virus through the vortex that will consume your world."

"Excuse me, but wouldn't that take away your plans of forcing Echo to be your queen?"

"A minor technicality. Since you're being so slow at making good on your promise to me, the loss of my future queen – while regrettable – will be a minor setback. There are plenty of other women I can choose from here."

"So why Echo?" Ledge asked. "What has caught your attention most about Echo?"

"That's none of your business." Ledge's animate reflection snapped. "Just deliver her. . . . or lose your chance at dominating your world." With that, the mirror when black.

Ledge set it down, his jaw clenched so tightly, a headache formed in his temples. _This deal is getting worse by the minute._ He decided. _Time to get started with my own discoveries._

"Buzz, Baskerville, get in here." He yelled. A shuffle from the main portion of the hangar where the two henchmen were working told Ledge they were coming.

"Yeah, Boss?" Buzz asked.

"You called us, my liege." Baskerville put in.

Ledge opened his desk drawer and removed two small, black boxes and a watch. The boxes were radio controlled devices and the watch was a holographic projector infused with magic. Ledge handed the boxes to Buzz and the watch to Baskerville.

"Buzz, I need you to sneak into Control Central's hangar bay and place these under the fender of the one-seater and two-seater cybercoops. It doesn't matter which one you put on which coop, just do it. Baskerville, this watch will allow you to take the face and form of a dear friend and ally of Maxanne Marbles – someone she trusts. What you must do is draw her to Cybersite Shangri-La."

"Yes, my liege." Baskerville said, slipping the watch onto his wrist.

"Now, listen closely. First, you must draw the human girl to Shangri-La. She must go through the vortex in the pool by tonight. Got it?" Ledge said.

"Yes, my liege." Baskerville said.

_Of course he gets it._ Ledge thought. _He's not near as dumb as those two robots._ "Now, in order to do this right, make sure she goes into the pool on the _right_ side of the bridge. The way to tell that is to face the main wall on the other side of the bridge. Make sure the river is right in front of you.

"There are three faces in that watch you are to try. The first is Master Pi's which will draw Max out. The second is a warrior who is close to Max and, therefore, will be trusted by Echo – keep in mind the warriors of Shangri-La don't usually talk to outsiders. Knowing this, I already written a letter as close to Max's hand as I could for you to give to Echo. You are only to nod or shake your head whenever she asks you questions. That is all."

"Yes, my liege." said the cyber-hound.

"The third face is Max. You will use that to draw Echo to Shangri-La. Now, this is the order to go in. Master Pi to draw Max away. Then, wait half and hour to an hour before impersonating Max for Echo. After that, wait half an hour before impersonating a warrior."

"Got it, my liege." Baskerville said.

"Good. Now get going."

Baskerville scurried away and only Buzz remained.

"Boss, why do I have to sneak into Control Central for?" Buzz asked.

"Because your small and insignificant. Nobody will notice you much." Ledge said.

"But they know me." Buzz pointed out.

"Good point." Ledge said after a moment of thinking. Then, he touched Buzz on the top of his head. "Camoforge." Buzz's body shimmered and he vanished. Only a slight waver of the background was enough to show where Buzz was. "That will keep you invisible until you return."

"Thanks boss."

"Now get going. I have things to do here."

Ledge waited until Buzz was gone before uncovering the Transmutation circle on the floor. He sat there with his hand in the proper sign2. Then, his plans for Cyber-domination began.

1

Max was a little surprised and somewhat excited when Motherboard announced she was bringing the Cybersquad in for a little more quality time. Max wanted to introduce Echo and Lok to the Squad and maybe show them Cherit. As it turned out, Cherit's batterypack was nearly dead and Max had to plug him in for the duration of the Squad's visit. The Portal opened in the middle of the control room and the kids stepped out onto the smooth linoleum.

"Hey, Didge." Matt said to Digit, who was picking up the last of the tools from that day's repair procedure.

"Hey guys. How's it going?" The cyboid asked.

"Great. We were really excited about being here." Inez said. "How's Max doing?"

"She's fine." Digit said.

The way he said it caused a wave of worry to go through the Squad.

"What do you mean she's _fine_? Is something wrong? Is she in trouble?" Jackie asked.

"No, no. Nothing like that. She's been keeping pretty busy lately is all." Digit said, putting his tools inside a closet. He wiped off his wings and looked at the clock on the wall. "She's been pretty excited about you guys coming. And, in fact, you're early. She was going to come greet you once you got here."

The Squad looked around.

"Where is Max?" Matt asked.

"She's up in the Holo-dome, sparring with her new apprentice, Lok. They'll be – oops, sounds like they're coming down now." Digit said, shrugging.

Sure enough, sounds from the hall indicated the arrival of at least two people.

"Doublespell! Kindlestrike!"

"You're getting better. That almost got my tail."

Just then, the hall doors opened and a white beast trotted in followed closely by a wild-haired boy with glowing hands.

"Augerfrost!" The kid shouted, snagging the monster's foot with the icy spell.

"Yow! That is cold!" The beast said as its foot went numb. The beast sounded like Max and even resembled a more whole version of her gargoyle form – the form she had been in when the kids first met her.

"Lok, Max! Stop this right now!" Motherboard said. The two stopped fighting and the ice broke off Max's back paw. "The control room is not a place for spars!" Motherboard said, firmly. "That's what the Holo-dome is for! Now, Max, would you kindly shed that form?"

"Sure thing, Motherboard." Max said, apologetically. She rose up onto her hind-legs and transformed back into her borg self; stopping the transformation when only her lower-torso was left. "Wait a minute." She shut her eyes and grimaced as her tail was sucked into her backside.

"There. That's better."

"Wait." Inez said. "You can change back into a gargoyle?"

"Yep." Max said proudly. "It was a stipulation I had with Master Pi. See, on occasion, there have been some Elites that can change their shape into whatever-the-hell they want. Master Pi and I agreed that since I was accustomed to the gargoyle body, we could work it out so I could be a shape-shifter – able to move between borg and gargoyle at will. It's been pretty useful but also a pain in the butt – literally." She rubbed at her rump with her hand."Especially when this boy uses Boltflare."

"Boltflare?" Matt asked. He looked at Lok, whose hands had stopped glowing. "Who the hell are you, anyway?"

"My name is Lok. I'm a Seeker, meaning I'm a warrior who can use magic for specific purposes."

"Magic like Boltflare." Max said.

"What's so wrong about using Boltflare?" Jackie asked.

"It's concentrated lightning." Lok said.

"So?" Matt put in.

"I spar with Max when she's in gargoyle form." Lok said.

Matt remembered an earlier discussion. "Oh." He said.

With that, the five of them sat on the floor and chatted a while. The kids were glad to catch up with Max and Digit and were surprised to learn that Max had taken a perspective Sword-Thane under her wing to train. Max was pleased to catch up with the kids on their lives back at home, though some of their terminology was a little confusing to her. After about fifteen minutes of talking, Max looked up at Motherboard.

"Hey, have you seen Echo lately?" She asked.

Motherboard was silent for a moment, scanning all of Control Central, then. "She's in your room doing what she usually does."

"Okay." Max said. She stood up. "I'll be back, guys. There's somebody I want you to meet."

She went to her room and stood watching Echo. The girl was leaning against the headboard, drawing pad against her legs and colored pencils scattered across the quilt.

"Hey." Max said. "There's some people out here I want you to meet."

"Who?" Echo asked.

"The Cybersquad."

Echo shrugged. "Already met them."

"In your universe, yeah. Not in mine."

"Are they any different?"

"Wouldn't know. I'm sure they're just as harmless."

Echo thought about it. "Okay." She said, picking out another color. "I'll be out as soon as I'm done with this picture."

"Okay." Max leaned against the door frame and waited; watching the human color in whatever design she had in mind. Then, Echo put her pad down, got up off the bed, and went to the door.

"Guys." Max said once they entered the control room. "This is my new friend, Echo. Echo, these are the Cybersquad."

"Nice to meet you." Echo said with a smile.

"Nice to meet you, too." Inez said, getting up to shake Echo's hand but Max stepped in front of her.

"She doesn't like physical contact much." She said.

"Oh." Inez said, putting her hand down.

With Echo present, they continued their conversation. Again, the Squad was surprised that Echo was a human living in the Cyberworld. After careful explanation, it was revealed that she actually wasn't even from _this_ Cyberworld – that she was from a parallel universe.

"You mean a parallel world." Inez said.

"What's the difference?" Digit asked.

"A parallel world has essentially the same things but are different. Like, there could be another one of each of us but our genders could be reversed, or there could be people missing from that other world, too."

"That makes sense." Echo said. She looked at Max. "In my world, there isn't one of you."

"Well, in my world, there isn't one of you, either." Max said.

"I'm not even from the Cyberworld." Echo pointed out.

"True."

"Is there one of me there?" Digit asked.

"Yep." Echo said.

"What about us?"The Cybersquad asked.

"Yeah. And you're even from Earth."

"Cool." Matt said.

After a full day of just hanging out, the kids were finally sent home. Lok went to his room to work with his Titans a little more while Max and Echo went back to their room for a little while. Digit headed to the kitchen to begin working on supper.

While Max was sharpening her throwing knives over a whetstone, her communications terminal beeped and an icon appeared on the screen. Curious, Max got up to answer the call. "Hey, Master Pi. What's up?" She asked.

"Nothing." He said. "Just checking up on a few things. How are things going for you?"

"Okay, I guess." Max said.

"Good. Look, I was wondering if maybe you could come and talk to the new recruits. Red was hoping you and he could give a speech about what it is to be a warrior. He would really appreciate it if you would be here within the next hour or so." Pi said.

Max was a little startled. Pi asking her to be there quickly? Is this real? "Uh, sure, Master. I can be there. I've been meaning to come there soon anyway. There's something I wanted to check out." Max said. "A little research, if you will. It may take some time but -"

"Take all the time you need, Max." Pi said.

"Thanks, Master." Max said, disconnecting. She put her knives in their slits, grabbed her Sqwackpad and her rod, stuffed the lot inside a bag with a few clothes, and shouldered the lot. Meanwhile,

Echo was looking at her. "Uh, what was that all about? What research are you talking about?"

"Listen, I've been thinking about your parallel world and how to send you back and I think Shangri-La might have the answer. See, you came into this world from Shangri-La's pool. I think what could happen is you jump back into the pool and it'll send you back. That's the theory and I wanna check it out to make sure. Wait for my call and

I'll let you know." Max said. "You mean, you could send me home?" "That's the plan. I don't want to get rid of you, but you don't seem to be happy here." Max hesitated a moment. "You do want to go back, don't you?"

"A little. I think it's about time I talked to Marbles Shovat about what happened." Echo said.

"That's probably a good idea. Anyway, I'll let you know once I figure it all out." "Okay." Echo said. "I'll wait for you to call then."

After bidding Echo a good-bye, Max left Control Central and went to the hangar bay. There, she slipped into the one-seater Cybercoop and took off. As she drifted along in Cyberspace, Max thought about what she could possibly say to the other young warriors. The speech piecing itself together in her mind. But then, all thoughts were forestalled as the engine gave a loud thud and Max was thrown forward against the steering wheel.

"What the -" She began, but further questions were forced from her mind as the engine died and started dropping toward the Cybersite below.

* * *

1 Viewtube- the Cyberworld's equivalent to Youtube.

2 Proper sign – Ram Handseal from Naruto and Naruto Shippuuden.


	9. Eyes of a Demon

_Chapter nine. here's where things get interesting. i hope you like it. after this is the chapter that wouldn't leave my head but it's gone now. i can't get rid of it. i believe it will help with a string of events that will lead up to a spectacular finale.  
_

_I don't own Cyberchase_._ Max is mine. Echo belongs exclusively to Kawaii Stella and her story Picking up the Broken Glass. I should probably also mention that Lok is not mine. Also, Ginny is not supposed to be a Harry Potter reference, though you can translate that how you will, and I used the name Erasmus b/c i had recently seen a Promised Land episode with the character Erasmus in it. I think it kind of fit, don't you?  
_

* * *

Chapter Nine  
Eyes of a Demon

Max was thrown forward on impact; her chest hitting the half-pipe steering wheel before the cross-strap seat belt yanked her back against the seat. The coop slid forward a few feet before coming to a complete stop in the hard gravel.

"Ouch! Damn!" Max said. She rubbed at her chest with her free hand while she waited for her pain receptors to turn off. She was very grateful for the safety belt, but wished it had stopped her sooner.

Her pain receptors turned off, Max reached over and tapped in Motherboard's number.

"Little Sparrow to Home Nest! Little Sparrow to Home Nest! Come in, Home Nest, over." Static. "Home Nest, do you read me? Over." More static. "Ah, damn." Max said.

She touched the cross-strap and shrugged out of the harness. Then, opening the hood, she kicked the door open and stepped out on to the dirt and gravel ground. Spots of grass and the golden sky told her she was on Cybersite Nowhere, the most sparsely populated site in Cyberspace. She didn't know how things couldn't get any worse.

_Piece of shit Cybercoop!_ Max thought, giving the fender a kick. While it didn't do anything to fix the coop, Max felt better. She grumbled dark words under her breath and stuffed her bag of tools under the bench seat before retrieving the small box of emergency tools and popped the engine hood to take a look.

At first, Max saw nothing wrong. Everything checked out. The oil tank was plenty full, the air filter was clean, the battery was clean and fully charged. She didn't see anything wrong. Max was so busy banging around with her wrench and cussing in KolG'GahR, she didn't even notice the presence of another borg until he spoke.

"Having trouble there?"

Max pulled her head out of the engine compartment and started at the borg. The first thing he noticed was that he was at least fifteen or sixteen, though appearance of age and actual age were two completely different things. The second thing she noticed was he looked very neat and tidy in his dress and appearance. He wore a long-sleeve white shirt, a black-t-shirt, slim cargo pants which accented his lower-torso nicely, and clean tennis shoes. He had light skin, an angular face, light-blue eyes, and neatly combed black hair.

Max straightened up, wondering how he found her and where he came from. She immediately became wary. Nowhere was _not_ the place to meet strangers. Particularly casually well-dressed strangers like him.

She lowered her hand, tightening her grip on the wrench. "A little." She said. "Know anything about engines?"

The boy shrugged. "Some." He said. He stepped up, took his hands out of his pockets, and leaned in. "Oh boy. This isn't good." He said after a few minutes.

"What?" Max took a step forward and looked in.

"Well, your fuel pump's dry and the wires are almost burned through." The boy said, pointing it out. "Doesn't look like the cryoxide chamber has been changed in a while."

"We just changed it a couple days ago." Max said, defensively.

"Then you must either have a lead foot or a leak somewhere." He said. He shut the lid. "Can you call someone?"

"No. My radio has been knocked out." Max answered. She was getting bad vibes form this kid. He just felt strangely sinister and she didn't know why.

"I can take you wherever you want to go." He said, gesturing to his vehicle.

Max looked at it and couldn't suppress a grimace. The ride was an old, rusty excuse of a cargo ship. It might have looked just fine in it's prime, but not anymore. Max was surprised it hadn't already been stuffed in the compactor.

"Does it even _run_?" She asked.

"Hell yeah. It runs just fine." The boy said with a grin.

Max shuddered. Warning bells were going off in her head. The smile was warm, but the eyes were cold.

"I'd rather not." Max said. She stepped back and stat in the driver's seat. "I just remembered, I have my Sqwack. I can just call Dad and have him come get me."

"It's no trouble." The boy pushed. "I can take you wherever you want to go. No charge."

"No thanks." Max said. She stopped looking for her Sqwack and got out to find the rest of her tools. "I'll be fine."

Suddenly, the boy's voice hardened to a hiss. "I really must insist." He said. His hand wrapped around her wrist and tightened. "You really don't want to decline an offer from me."

Max glared at him. "Let go of me." She said in a deep, threatening voice.

"I don't think so." He answered.

Max, realizing she still had the wrench, swung at him; hitting him square in the side of the head. His head snapped to the side and coolant ran down his ear and neck from a gash in his temple. In his surprise, he released her and clamped both hands to his injury; cussing loudly.

"Shit! Damn stupid bitch!"

Max began running. Where to, she didn't know. She just wanted to get away from him. The sound of heavy tennis shoes told her he was in hot pursuit. Then,

"Ropetrick!" A coil of rope snaked out of his sleeve, wound itself around her body, and pulled tight.

Max fell down and the boy knelt; tying a decent knot in the thick fibers.

"What the hell do you want from me?" Max yelled.

"You'll find out soon enough." He answered.

Before Max could protest, he buzzed her in the side of the neck with a cylinder. Max jumped, then went still.

Ledge tucked the cylinder back in the lower pocket of his cargo pants. Then, he went to the coop and, from underneath the fender, he removed a small box which he placed in the other lower pocket alongside the remote controller he used to bring her down and scramble all communications. After a few minutes of kicking dirt and gravel around to cover the coolant trail, he went back to Max and hefted her to his shoulders.

Just before taking off, Ledge checked out the gash in the mirror, muttering about stupid borgettes, and touched the gash with one hand.

"Everfight." Instantly, the gash sealed over.

Ledge kicked at Max's prone form on the floor of the cargo-coop. Then, plopped into the cushy driver's seat and lifted off; calling his minions with the crappy video phone.

"Dark Falcon to Wreaker Two. I'm coming back. Get the equipment ready. I'm not taking any chances on this bitch escaping."

"We hear you, Boss." Delete said, with a salute.

"Baskerville, congratulations on bringing the target out. Now, go to phase two." Ledge said.

"Very good, my liege." Baskerville said.

0

It was precisely forty-five minutes after Max left Control Central that Echo got the call. The fact she was even calling so soon after leaving was surprising to Echo but she went to answer the terminal anyway.

"So, what did you find out?" Echo asked.

"It's just as I figured." Said Max's face on the terminal screen. "There's a vortex in the pool by the bridge. I believe it's the same vortex that brought you here."

"Really?"

"Yeah. How soon do you want to go home?"

"I can be there in a few minutes." Echo said.

"Good. Um, I won't actually be here but I'll have a warrior waiting for you by the bridge. Don't worry, he's a friend. And they don't usually talk to outsiders, primarily because a majority of them don't know English. Anyway, he'll tell you what to do." Max said.

"Okay. Just, let me say good-bye to a few people here." Echo said. She felt that after everything Marbles, Motherboard, and Digit had done for her, she should at least be decent enough to say good-bye.

"Understood. Take whatever you like from your side of the room. We got the clothes for you, anyway." Max said.

With that, they disconnected and Echo went about packing things inside an old dufflebag she found in Max's closet. She grabbed her drawing tools and clothes, then threw the lot over her shoulder, over-joyed to be leaving for home but uncertain of what she could possibly have to talk about with Marbles.

After saying good-bye to the people of this world, Echo left for Shangri-La with the aid of a Transportal. True to Max's word, there was a warrior standing by the bridge, waiting.

"Are you the one Max foretold would be here?" Echo asked.

The warrior nodded.

"Did she tell you about the vortex?"

Another nod.

"Where is it?"

The warrior pointed to the right side of the bridge. Just as Echo leaned over to look at the silver-white swirl in the water, a hefty shove at her back sent her falling head-first into the water. In a flash, Echo was gone – spiraling back into her plane.

Baskerville pulled out the communication's pod he had retrieved from their headquarters before leaving.

"The human intruder is gone, my liege." He said.

"Good." Ledge said. "Get back here. I need you to help set things up."

"Right away, my liege." Baskerville said, stepping onto the transportation circle drawn into the grass by the bridge. In a flash of blue light, the cyber-hound was gone and so was the circle.

1

Lok did not particularly like to meditate. He knew Max didn't always like to either, but she always did; only replacing it with Tai Chi when there was something bothering her she didn't want to think about. The boy, himself, was usually too wired to sit still. However, Max had sternly ordered him to meditate.

Since Max had left, Lok had been putting off doing the meditation; practicing his aim in the Holo-dome instead while Cherit continued to remind him to follow his teacher's orders.

"I'm going to, Cherit." Lok said to his little familiar, patting the cyber-titan's head with his hand. "Just not right now. I need to practice this."

"Lok. Meditation would do your mind good." Cherit said.

"Fine." Lok said in resignation.

With Cherit clinging to his shoulder, the two of them left the Holo-dome and made their way down to Lok's room. There, Lok sat cross-legged on a cushion; eyes closed and fists together. He reached out with his mind in search of the spiritual essence Master Pi used to talk about. He found it and began exploring all the various connections he had.

Pi told him that Gal'an and Plo'BaQ'krum both had a unique connection to the Cyber-world. They could find anyone they wanted, checking in on them. However, while the Plo'BaQ'krum could find everyone, the Gal'an could only find people they already met. In Lok's life, he had only met a few people: Pi, the warriors, the pages, his father, Max, Echo, Marbles, Digit, Motherboard, and the Cybersquad. The idea was that if Lok could strengthen his connections with his friends, he could strengthen his relationship with his Titans. Even Cherit had a spiritual bond with him.

Lok went through his list of connections, tightening bonds here and there. But, when he came to the bond he shared with Max, he stopped. It didn't feel right. To him, his bonds felt like a stream of clear water – clean, gentle, smooth. This bond hurt and burned at him like a fire. He instinctively knew something was wrong.

He thought back to what his father used to say: "The bond between two individuals should be straight and strong, like a string. No dents or frays, or loose fibers. Perfectly balanced. A link between two souls. Nurture that link, Lok. Protect it. Otherwise, the bond between two souls is forever rotten."

Lok felt along his bond with Max and knew there was something rotting on it. And the longer he felt it, the longer it burned him.

His circuit board forgot how to send information to the rest of him. Max meant a lot to him. Even though she whacked him for using Boltflare when she was a gargoyle, or for using King Basilisk because she was beating him. She still took the time to teach him. She made learning the Sword-Thane way easy. The fact his teacher was in trouble did not rest easy for Lok.

His eyes opened and he was suddenly aware of a weight across his legs. Looking down, Lok saw that Cherit was curled up in his lap. The cyber-titan blinked up at his master.

"Is something wrong, Lok?" Cherit asked.

"There might be." Lok said. He stood up, bumping Cherit off his legs, and strode over to the communications terminal. He switched it on, and attempted to establish a video-call connection; tapping his fingers on the desk's surface when he received a message.

"_The number you dialed is busy. Please try again later or press one for more options."_

Lok pressed one and looked at the list: Disconnect, Stay online, or continue scanning until a connection can be made. Lok chose number three and waited.

0

Master Pi couldn't get this nagging feeling out of his head that something was wrong. _Very_ wrong. As an Alchemist, it was up to Pi to make sure Cyberspace was just as it was supposed to be. In the last couple of days, there was an ominous presence lingering somewhere in Cyberspace and it caused Pi to worry. He knew this presence and he wished he was very wrong.

Working quickly, Pi contacted Professor Alphius Stumblesnore, Headmaster of Frogsnorts Academy of Magic, an Alchemist, himself, and demanded he check the vaults that lie deep beneath the school. Alphius was adamant Pi was wrong but went to check anyway, promising to check back with him when he had an answer.

While Pi waited for Alphius to return, he made a call to Barterum and spoke with Ginny, the shrewd mother of Warren the Genie. Ginny informed Pi that Warren hadn't moved from his bottle since Hacker last released him. Pi thanked Ginny and disconnected. While he trusted Ginny, the fact Warren was still grounded did little to ease Pi's anxiety.

It was common knowledge that a genie named Warren had attempted to take over Cyberspace. However, what wasn't common knowledge was that Warren hadn't done it alone. Eons ago, Warren came across an amulet that contained the last of a breed of Titans known as the Dominators. Where Warren found it was uncertain. Worse yet, he had no idea how to even control it. When Dominator was released, it wreaked havoc and destruction wherever it went and Warren was helpless to stop it. A Seeker, whose name was never disclosed, arrested Warren and stopped Dominator in its tracks. Pi and a handful of Alchemists, including Ginny, sealed Dominator away inside its amulet and was placed in a magically enforced vault that lay fifty-Cyberfeet below the school of Magic; never to be found and used again. The transmutation circle across the vault door was enough for that.

As punishment for meddling with powers beyond his control, Ginny constructed a bottle reinforced with magic, and Warren was locked inside it. The lock was supposed to last two hundred years – the transmutation circle around the rim and across the cork was enough to ensure that much – but Hacker had tampered with the bottle in an attempt to earn Warren's help. All that was done in vain as Warren had decided nothing was worth his mother's wrath. Needless to say, the seal would only last another hundred years and it was dangerous putting a transmutation circle over another one, even if the other one was broken.

Hacker, of course, had been misled then as the work against Cyberspace had only been a result of Warren's foolishness. However, in order for Cyberspace to heal, Pi, Alphius, Ginny, and the other Alchemists erased the memories of everyone; altering the reality so they would believe it had only been Warren who wreaked destruction. Memories and all mention of Dominator were forever erased. Except the Alchemists and Warren were the only ones who remembered the Dominator.

A blip on the screen told Pi he had an incoming message. Eager to hear Alphius' answer, Pi responded only to realize it was Lok. He smiled at the boy, warmly.

"Hello, Lok. How are you?" Pi said.

"Physically, I'm fine, Master." Lok said.

"Oh?" Pi's smile faltered. _What could he have to say? He didn't sense it_ too _had he?"_

"Master, I feel a great disturbance in the Force.1 I'm not sure what to make of it, but I could swear my teacher is in trouble."

Pi felt the last of his grin fade way. He was afraid of this. Max's defeat of Hacker _had_ brought into motion things that were bound to get out of control. He should have known someone would come out of the woodwork and seek revenge. And when Wicked had gotten out of jail seventeen months early, Pi had expected something bad to happen and was surprised when she had made no moves.

"Master?" Lok cut into Pi's thoughts.

"Have you meditated on this?" PI asked.

"Yes." Lok said. "That's how I felt it. My link with Shield-maiden Max . . . it felt like – like it was burning." Lok absentmindedly brushed his hair out off his forehead, something he did when he was stressed. "Master, what can it mean? I can't consult the cypherdex because it's useless in this kind of problem."

Pi took a deep breath. "What did you feel, exactly, when you touched your bond with Max?"

"It hurt, like it was burning. And the cord was black. What does it mean, Master?"

"Patience." Pi said. "Was the cord fraying?"

"No."

"Then, when you touched it, what kind of burn did you receive?"

"First-degree."

Pi leaned back. "Your original assumption that Max is in trouble would be correct. Though, what kind of trouble is unspecified."

"When will it be specified?" Lok asked.

"I am expecting a call from a colleague of mine, Professor Stumblesnore of Frogsnorts. If my belief is correct, then we should prepare ourselves for the worst."

"The worst?"

"Death. And we do not have another candidate in mind for Shield-maiden if Max is to be shut down."

Lok had no response to that. He hated the thought.

"Hang on, little one. I have another call." Pi said. "I will reconnect with you when I have the answer. In the meantime, I have one last task for you. If you truly believe your teacher is in danger, you must attempt to establish another bond. This bond is called Sight-share2 and can only be performed between two like-beings. You and Max are both alike in many ways. That is what you must concentrate on."

"Okay, Master." Lok said. "I shall await your answer and do as you say."

"Good. Keep this line open."

"Will do."

Before his conversation with Ginny, Pi had activated the call-waiting function on his terminal. Pi never used call-waiting because he believed it distracted from having a meaningful conversation with another individual. During his conversation with Lok, a symbol had appeared on the bottom-left corner of his screen. He wasn't worried about Alphius' call because he would be placed on hold until Pi could reach him. Pi selected the icon and Alphius' face filled the screen.

A tall, slight wizard, Alphius conveyed wisdom and ordered respect without ever demanding it. Pi did the same, but Alphius was far older. In fact, he was so old, he was a student of Artax. He had a long, white beard and mustache and his lips pouted between them. His blue eyes normally sparkled knowingly beneath the rim of his wide hat. Today, those same eyes were full of worry.

"Erasmus, you were right to be concerned." Alphius said.

"So, it's gone then." Pi said. It wasn't a question, but he knew Alphius would treat it as one. He was right.

"Unfortunately." Alphius said. "The problem is, I can't think of anyone who would be willing to take the amulet. None of my students know about it and Dominator was erased from our history."

"Unless -" Pi began.

"Unless what?" Alphius asked.

"Unless the one who took the amulet is another Alchemist. Or an Alchemist-in-training." Pi finished.

"Impossible! The only Alchemist who remember Dominator were the ones who locked him away! The younger Alchemists would never know about him!"

"You've forgotten about Warren. Warren can still remember Dominator because we never erased it from his mind. If anyone wanted to know about Warren and his story, they would only have to ask." Pi pointed out.

"But Erasmus, we forbade hi from discussing it!" Alphius said.

"That does not mean he won't discuss it." Pi said. "His mother is the only one who can control him and she had not ordered him to remain silent about it."

"True."

"Alphius, think back. Was there ever a student at your school you ever had to expel for any reason?"

Alphius did think back, and he knew what Pi meant.

"Yes. I do remember. He just appeared, one day, begging to be accepted as a student. We checked him out and it was like he just never existed before then. There were no documents on who his parents were, when or where he as born, nothing to indicate age or if he was even capable of using magic. He took him in. But he used his magic in selfish acts and we were forced to take his wand away and expel him from the school. He left spewing threats."

"Yes. I had a similar problem. Only this boy wanted to be an Alchemist. He claimed he had studied the transmutation circles and he could do simple spells. I denied him the right to learn. He also threatened me." Pi said.

"Do you suppose that's who it is, Erasmus?" Alphius asked.

"I don't suppose, Alphius. I know that is who is causing all this."

"What are we to do, Erasmus?"

Pi thought about it. "Don't do anything. I have a young warrior who would be all too willing to help us. However, just to be safe, inform the other Alchemists and have them prepare just in case we are to be needed again. You will hear from me then."

"Good idea." Alphius said, disconnecting.

1

Lok hated waiting. If there was one lesson he had not yet learned, it was how to wait. He simply didn't have the patience for it. The fact Max might be in trouble didn't help either. He just couldn't get the bad feeling out of his head.

He tried the sight-share connection but was getting nowhere with it. There just wasn't anything to connect to. So Lok resorted to pacing with Cherit watching him from the bed.

"Lok." Pi's voice suddenly came from the communications terminal. Lok leaped into the seat. "It appears you were right, Lok. Your teacher is in trouble."

"I knew it." Lok said, under his breath. Then, louder. "What do we do, Master?"

"There will be no 'we' this time, Lok." Pi said. "I am giving this assignment to you."

"Me? But, Master, wouldn't one of the other warriors be better suited?" Lok said, flabbergasted.

"Lok, you and Max have connected much better in the short time you've known each other. As it is, you must also complete a few missions before I can name you Sword-Thane. Think of this as a mission." Pi said. "Now, are you ready to accept your mission."

"Certainly." Lok said, over-joyed to be given the chance to prove himself. "What is the mission?"

"You must infiltrate the enemy's headquarters. Act as a friend or use one of your scouts. First, you must track Max. Find out where she was last and then use Gremlow or Gareon for scouts across the sky. Then use Bulregard for ground scouts. Also, use either Icarus or Cavalier to get from site to site."

"Why not use Kipperin? He can fly and he's a scout." Lok said.

"Kipperin is too small. He'll tire too quickly. You must know your Titan's strengths and weaknesses, Lok. That is a big part to being a Seeker. Remember that."

"Okay, Master."

"Also, use the tracking device we gave you. Motherboard and myself will be able to find you quickly and easily that way. Only use it when you see an opening or if you need the Cybersquad."

"Will do."

"Good. Now, get going. Leave Cherit behind. He will not be needed for the moment.

Lok hesitated. He didn't want to leave Cherit but he understood. He nodded, disconnected, and prepared to leave on his mission.

* * *

1 "I feel a great disturbance in the Force"- Star Wars, all episodes; a phrase commonly used by Jedi

2Sight-share- Pokemon Heroes. The movie


	10. Cost of a Life

_Chapter ten. here's the unwanted chapter. be warned, there is a lot of violence i this chapter. keep tissues close just in case.  
_

_I don't own Cyberchase_._ Max is mine. Echo belongs exclusively to Kawaii Stella and her story Picking up the Broken Glass. I should probably also mention that Lok is not mine. Also, the line "vengeance is like a boomerang, though it flies in the direction thrown, it comes back even faster" is from the double trouble episode on Cyberchase. I felt it was actually quite fitting.  
_

* * *

Chapter Ten  
Cost of a Life

The first thing Max noticed when she regained consciousness was the pounding, throbbing headache located right in her temples. The second thing she noticed was her fingers were touching her heels. She had been hog-tied! And she was laying on her side on a cool, cement floor.

While her sense of touch was the first thing to return, her sense of hearing went far worse. In the background around her, there was banging and clanking and the whirring of socket and impact wrenches and voices. The noise was so bad, her headache worsened. She just wanted to cover her ears and scream. However, she could not because the thick, heavy rope held her wrists and ankles together and that fact alone frustrated her to no end.

Max opened her eyes and suddenly wished she hadn't. An overhead halogen light briefly blinded her and max was forced to turn her head; a grunt of pain escaped her lips before she could even think to squelch it. She shut her eyes to block out the light.

"Hey Boss! She's awake." Said a vaguely familiar, high-pitched voice.

"Finally! She's been sleeping for three days now." Said a second voice, a young male. Max heard him rise and dust himself off.

He cross the length of the floor, his strides were soft and light. He grabbed Max by the shoulder and pulled her upright; pressing her flat against the wall.

"Look at me, Max." The voice said.

Max opened her eyes and was met by a pair of light-blue ones. Eerily lifeless and sinister, they were. Max was suddenly reminded of Hacker's own stone-cold stare; even though Hacker's eyes were black as obsidian. These eyes were the color of a cloudless sky but held no warmth.

"Who are you?" Max asked.

"My name is Ledge." The eyes' owner said. "I wouldn't expect you to know who I am. Oh no, I wouldn't expect you to know me at all. However, You should know my father."

"Look, kid. I don't know you and I definitely don't know your father." Max said. She was still dizzy and her brain barely registered that she had, once again, been injected with nano droids. That fact angered her.

Ledge laughed. "Oh, you're wrong there. You _do_ know my father. In fact, you were the one who murdered him."

Max's headache had lessened some and she understood what he was talking about. "Hieronymus Hacker . . . is your father."

"Correct." Ledge said, with a smug grin. "My my, are you almost as smart as they say. Almost."

He got up and began checking some equipment. "It was five years ago that I was made. He gave me the body of an eleven year old and uploaded a lot of his own knowledge into my brain. He taught me a great many things since then, Max. A great . . . many. He taught me that the government in Cyberspace is corrupted. Therefore, it needed to be fixed and he would be the one to fix it. But, just in case he failed to do so, he wanted to ensure that his task would be completed by leaving behind an heir."

"You." Max said. She was beginning to think clearly enough to begin changing. If she could just go gargoyle, she could have a chance. Already, the rough scales that rippled down her arms and legs – below the knees and elbows, of course – were already fraying the rope fibers. Soon, they would be loose enough for her to break free. She just had to keep it away from her face and any place Ledge could see.

Ledge turned and smiled at her answer. "Yes, Max. Me. I was the perfect heir. I doted on him and looked up to him. But, one day, he told me we couldn't be together. He said it was just to protect me. He staged a fire on Sensible Flatts with me inside it. We had borg bodies – non-working ones, of course – to act like my family. Everyone naturally assumed I was an orphan, then, and placed me under the care of an old man named Dekes."

Ledge went back to fixing his terminal and closed the lid. He was too busy telling Max his life's story to even pay attention to her and Max knew she needed to leave soon if she didn't want to find out what he was doing with this equipment.

"So what next?" Max asked.

"He promised he would comeback for me when Cyberspace was his, but he never came. One day, I got fed up with Dekes and I ran away. I believed my father had just forgotten about me. I decided I was going to make him remember me by doing something he had never meant for me to do. I tried studying magic, but I was constantly being harangued about rules and taboos. I was kicked out of one school and dismissed from an apprenticeship before it even began. But, I learned it. And now, nobody can stop me from completing my father's dream."

"What does that have to do with me?" Max asked.

Ledge stopped moving around and faced Max; his expression solemn and dangerous. "You're here because everyone else failed to convict you as the murderer you are. You were supposed to have been imprisoned and taken apart for spares. But you weren't. Because they were too weak to do it. Justice must be served to those who commit a crime. Since nobody else will do it, then it's up to us to do it."

"But, you're just a kid!" Max said. "Do you even know what that does to someone like us?"

"I didn't say _I_ was going to be the one to do it." Ledge corrected her. He motioned to the back of the room – which Max realized was really a big warehouse – at the four figures setting up the equipment. "I'm sure you know my partners." He said.

Max did. She recognized Buzz and Delete as they were putting the finishing touches to a steel structure which vaguely resembled a crucifix. She only knew the stunted Cyber-hound by face but was pretty sure she knew his name began with a B. And the fourth made her coolant freeze. There was no mistaking that pointy hat, narrow face, or those ebony eyes.

"Wicked?" Max breathed.

Wicked cackled as she approached Max. "I told you I'd get you for this someday, Max. I've been looking forward to this for a few months now."

Max was too dumbstruck to answer.

Ledge and wicked smirked at her silence. Ledge went back to oversee the operation.

"Be careful with that! It's very delicate equipment. Nothing must be out of place or damaged!" Ledge shouted. He pointed to the Cyber-hound who had just picked up a small treasure chest off the floor. "Be _especially_ careful with that. That contains a heavily viscous material. You spill that and there won't be anything left of you."

The Cyber-hound gingerly placed the chest on the table and hurried off to assist the two robots.

Wicked knelt in front of Max; the sneer splitting her features in half. "I'm really looking forward to scrapping you. You should've just left my dear old Hackey-poo alone." She said. "Instead, you had to be all noble. This is going to be fun."

"Wicked, leave her alone. You'll get your chance with her in a minute." Ledge warned.

Wicked shot Ledge a dirty look, then left to help the duncebuckets. Ledge, believing the two robots could handle themselves with Wicked as overseer, went back to Max and sat on an office chair. He opened a can of soda and propped his feet up; his attention wholly on the equipment. He took a sip, sighed, and settled deep into the chair.

Max looked around and realized she knew where she was. The structure of the warehouse with its rounded roof and squarish windows were enough to tell her that much. The windows were covered over with black trash bags – probably to disorient her – and the hangar doors were shut. But Max had been here long enough to know they were on the Northern Frontier, in Hacker's old hangar where he kept the Grimm Wreaker. This was the place where Max had been beaten, tortured, and mutated; where her life as a seventeen-year-old borg ended.

Max's eyes went to the set up and she couldn't help but panic. The steel structure was looking more like a crucifix now except that there were leather straps and heavy buckles on the cross-piece and a the bottom of the vertical piece. Flexible plastic tubes were draped over the cross-piece and a USB cable was threaded through a hole in the vertical piece. All of this was flanked by a large computer. A tray lay on the table next to the chest of viscous material. Max didn't even want to think about what was on the tray _or_ what was in the chest.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Ledge asked. He gestured with the soda can, his pinky and ring fingers leaving the can's side. "Took us weeks to get all this together. It might not have taken so long if I hadn't been so involved with my studies."

"So, what are you, exactly? Seeker or Alchemist?" Max asked. _Just a little more! _She thought, her skin shifting between borg and gargoyle.

"I'm definitely not a Seeker. If those are the only two choices, I guess that makes me an Alchemist." Ledge said. He absentmindedly touched his wrist where a leather band was strapped. An oddly-shaped gem was sewn into place. Having sparred with Lok, Max knew the gem was an amulet.

"That Titan, who is it?" She asked.

Ledge looked down. "You mean this?" He laughed and tossed his empty can at the recycle bin. "This isn't a Titan. It's my medium – my connection to the gates." He opened another soda and Max wondered if maybe he was drinking soda to deal with what he was going to do. "I'm surprised you know anything about this."

"I'm surprised you do, too." Max said.

Ledge shrugged. "I've been studying it for a long time."

He paused in his drinking when he heard a small _snap!_ His head jerked around and he glared at Max. "What are you doing?" He asked.

"Nothing." Max said. She grimaced, inwardly, as she hadn't meant to break the rope yet.

Ledge set his soda can down, got up,and went to Max. "You're doing something. I know you are. Now wha -" He stopped.

Max had allowed the transformation to spread to the rest of her body. With a louder _snap_, she jumped up, severing the ropes, and rammed her head into Ledge; knocking him down. Fully formed as a gargoyle, Max bolted for the door, her night-vision perfect enough to see right where the doors were.

"Wicked! She's escaping! Do something!" Ledge shrieked as he struggled to stand.

Max barely made it halfway in a dead gallop when she heard two commands.

"Bramblebind!"

"Dominator!"

In an instant, thick, green, thorny vines leaped out of the ground; entangling itself around her paws and tripping her up. The wide vines broke past her scales and cut the soft flesh beneath until it was bleeding. Max gritted her teeth as the vines tightened; coiling around her body until she was forced to stop moving. In one last desperate attempt to break free, Max bit at the spell-cast vines, breaking several and cutting her mouth in the process. Just as she managed to pull her way free, something heavy landed squarely on her lower back; forcing her into a sit. If that wasn't bad enough, something hard and pointy struck her in both shoulders. The skin separated and the sharp objects broke off just inches outside her flesh.

The effect was instantaneous. A burning sensation rippled through her, not just in her shoulders but all down her reptilian body. The pressure was lifted off her haunches, but that did little to alleviate the pain. She rolled around, roaring in agony; the objects in her shoulders driven deeper in her attempts to be rid of them. After a while, the pain got to be too much for her gargoyle body to bare – and she had also begun to choke as the fire raged in her respiratory system. She drifted back to cyborg. The fire settled in her stomach where it roiled around like a snake and she was forced to vomit. A puddle of silvery liquid lay on the floor and Max knew she had just been injected with mercury – another dangerous element to a gargoyle.

Ledge approached and kicked Max in the belly, forcing her to throw up again.

"Stupid bitch!" He hissed. "I was going to make your death quick and painless, but _no_! You had to try escaping." He grabbed her by the hair and pulled until they were eye to eye. "You have only yourself to blame for your pain now."

He let her head drop and addressed the others. "Are you done yet?"

"Yeah, Boss! It's all finished." Buzz said. "We just need her."

"What's all this stuff for, Boss?" Delete asked. His voice sounded timid, as though he really didn't want to know.

"You'll see soon enough." Ledge told them. He picked up a long coil of rope and wandered over to the crucifix. "Ropetrick!"

The rope came alive in his hand and wrapped itself around her body; hauling her free of the Bramblebind spell and binding her to the crucifix. Delete and the cyber-hound pinned her arms to the cross-pieces and strapped them in place with the buckled binders while Buzz worked on her feet.

Head pounding, Max threw up the mercury a few times more before she was even able to concentrate. She lifted her head and stared at Ledge and the monster he had just invoked.

Master Pi had suggested that Titans were alive. Max didn't know how she felt about this beast being alive. It could only be described as an ugly-ass, shit-faced beast. To describe it as having the face only a mother could love was inaccurate as she was sure this Titan's mother would have drowned it at the first chance she had. It had a narrow face with a cleft chin, a small nose, big red eyes, and a gaping mouth with sharp teeth. It was barrel-chested, and two, long, thin arms ending in spiky wreaking ball hands hung from its armored shoulders. Its torso tapered off at the base giving it a light-bulb appearance. Its legs were thin and stick-like, ending in blocky feet. A few spikes were missing from its hands and a sudden pain in Max's back told her that's what broke off inside her.

Ledge smirked and patted the Titan on the elbow. "Amazing, isn't he? His name is Dominator. He and I have bonded quite well together. It seems we're a lot alike."

"I thought you said you weren't a Seeker. What the hell are you doing with a Titan?" Max managed to say. She was getting weaker from the lingering bits of mercury in her system and gravity pulling at her.

"You would be right. I'm not a Seeker. Dominator's amulet was nothing more than my connection to the gates. But, I can also invoke and revoke him at will."

"But, you can use him." Max said. "That makes you a Seeker."

"No it doesn't." Ledge said. "A Seeker needs more than one Titan to be considered a Seeker and since I draw energy from Dominator for Equivalent Exchange, that makes me an Alchemist. Seeker and Alchemist magic is relatively the same, as I'm sure you know. However, I use more Alchemist magic than I do Seeker. The Transmutation circles for example." Ledge's smile widened when he saw how weighted Max looked. "Ah yes. The mercury. Bet that surprised you, didn't it?"

Max didn't answer and instead resorted to coughing.

Ledge pointed to the wreaking ball hands on Dominator. "You see these spikes? Dominator is a Swara-Titan Warrior. All Swara-Titans are venomous in one way or another. This big boy is no exception. Some Swara-Titans have a poison bite or a poisonous blade. Dom, here, has poisonous spikes. His body naturally produces mercury, which I knew would be useful when I saw your gargoyle body." He waved his hand at Dominator and the grotesque Titan turned into a ball of energy and vanished inside his amulet. "This will be interesting." He added.

"Can I have her now?" Wicked asked.

"In a few minutes." Ledge told her. He went to the table and opened the chest. Inside were several, large cylinders that contained a green liquid. "Hydrofluoric acid." He said, taking one out of the chest. "I'm sure you know what this can do to the materials that make up your body. Lift up her shirt."

Max's belt was loosened and her tunic was yanked out of her pants; leaving her lower abdomen – and her access panel – exposed. Suddenly, Max knew she had reason to panic.

Max managed to pull herself up and begin ranting. She asked them if they realized how much she hated having to kill Hacker; if they realized living with the guilt of having taken a life was enough to haunt her twenty-four-seven. She demanded to know who they thought they were that they felt it was up to them to hurt her; to punish her for saving Cyberspace.

While Max's questions had irritated Ledge, it was Wicked to expressed the most anger. Seizing a handful of Max's hair, Wicked yanked her head back until they were eye to eye.

"Listen, you little whore! You didn't kill Hacker, you murdered him! Dozens of people saw you do it so don't try to deny it! Furthermore, claiming you are haunted twenty-four-seven by his demise isn't enough. I suppose you are familiar with the phrase **'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth'**? Try this one on for size: **'A life for a life'**."

"The only thing you're looking for is vengeance." Max said, unable to keep the fear out of her voice. "Since you seem to like phrases so much, try this one: **'Vengeance is like a boomerang; though it flies in the direction thrown, it comes back even faster'**."

"Ah save the Pi-parables for someone who actually cares." Ledge said, swatting Wicked's hand aside.

He stepped forward and, with the edge of a flat-head screwdriver, pried Max's access panel away; exposing her internal circuits. Then he reached inside and tugged the fan cable out of its socket. Instantly, Max's body began to warm. Fear built up so much inside her mind, she was on the verge of tears.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"We were going to take you apart while your mind was incapacitated. But since you tired escaping, you just cost yourself your cooling unit. Not that it would matter, anyway. Oh, that reminds me – you won't need _this_ either." His fingers brushed against her cooling rod – a rod that contained cryoxide and helped keep her system cooler. With a tug, Ledge wrenched the rod out of place, dropping it on the floor.

Max's body temperature skyrocketed and she wished her system would overheat and crash before they did anything else to her. No such luck.

"Baskerville! Is the program ready?" Ledge asked.

"Yes, my liege." Said the cyber-hound, bowing.

"Good." Ledge said. He grabbed Max by a forelock and pulled her head down; the fingers of his other hand searched for the USB port on the nape of her neck. When he found it, he marked the place with a finger and inserted the dongle.

Max squinched her eyes shut, expecting something to happen, but nothing did. At least not yet. Then, a sharp pain in her sides made her look down. Delete and Baskerville had just jabbed her with the hollow, plastic tubes.

Ledge lifted a cylinder out of the chest, again, and moved around behind Max where he inserted the cylinder vertically into the space below the large computer screen. Then, he stepped in front of her and touched her on the forehead with his thumb; his other hand squeezing her shoulder.

"We're going to kill you, Max." He said, flatly. "But, for now, I'm going to be merciful to you. That dongle has immediate access to your Read-Only Memory, but it won't do anything while your thought processes are still working. Therefore, I am going to dull your senses. You won't feel a thing during the rest of the procedure. Any last requests?"

Max felt the tears begin to flow. It took every last ounce of her strength not to begin sobbing right then. "Please. Let my father find my body. That's all I want is for my father to have some closure. He needs some closure. Please."

"I'll think about it." Ledge said. He pressed harder on her forehead. "Simplemind." He muttered.

Max's senses immediately dulled. Her eyes glazed over and her mouth went slack. Ledge let Max's head fall forward, and he looked up at the screen. In bright letters on a greenish background, the computer had one thing to say:

ROM ACCESS: GRANTED.

Ledge stepped away and nodded to Wicked, who was, by then, shifting excitedly from foot to foot, eagerly rubbing her hands together like a deranged psychopath.

"She's all yours." Ledge said, walking away. "I'll be getting ready for the next stage of the operation. Don't bother me. And, duncebuckets, clean up that mercury." He punched a button which started the flow of Hydrofluoric acid into Max's system. A soft groan of pain escaped her lips as the acid began doing its dirty work.

"You got it, boss." Said Buzz, saluting him.

"Whatever you say." Wicked said.

She sent the two bots and the cyber-hound away so she could work in peace. Then, paced around her victim as though unsure of what to do next. Little knowing she was being watched.


	11. Rescue Party

_Chapter eleven. this is worse than the last one. i hope you haven't run out of tissues yet.  
_

_I don't own Cyberchase_._ Max is mine. Echo belongs exclusively to Kawaii Stella and her story Picking up the Broken Glass. I should probably also mention that Lok is not mine. Also, the visual of Max on a crucifix is by no means meant to be biblical. The fact I have referred to her as "Defender of Cyberspace" and "Savior" a couple of times has nothing to do with my choice in how these chapters played out.  
_

* * *

Chapter Eleven  
Rescue Party

For the next several minutes after disconnecting from Master Pi, Lok began preparing for his mission. He was in a hurry but he worked at an acceptable pace so he wouldn't forget anything.

First, he stripped out of his Shangrinese uniform, folded it up, and laid it on his bed. Then, he shrugged into a pair of comfortable blue jeans, and a black v-neck t-shirt. After jamming his feet into socks and tennis shoes, Lok opened his small treasure chest and began choosing Titans; taking care to slip them into the pockets of his fabric arm-warmers for easy access.

"Let's see. He said to use Cavalier or Icarus to get across Cyberspace. I think Cavalier would be better suited for that. Gareon is small, he can sit on my shoulder. Definitely going to take Bulregard for land tracking. I could use the Scarabese to infiltrate, couldn't I?"

"Shouldn't you infiltrate the hideout yourself? Just like Master Pi said." Cherit asked.

"I'm pretty sure that was a suggestion." Lok said, slipping the Scarabese amulet into an arm-warmer pocket. He sifted through his other amulets, thinking about how useful they would be and which Titans worked well with another. When his fingers brushed one amulet in particular, Cherit grabbed his hand.

"Don't take that one, Lok." Said the cyber-titan.

"King Basilisk, why?" Lok asked.

"Because you don't want to stone the wrong person." Cherit said.

Lok knew he meant Max. Although Cherit had been programmed to obey and advise Lok, there was that connection between creator and created. Cherit was grateful to Max for bringing him to life. He didn't have to say it. Lok knew he cared about her.

"Okay, Cherit." Lok said. He picked up King Basilisk's amulet and put it back in the box. Then, while his familiar wasn't looking, he slipped it into the pocket of his jeans.

After choosing his Titans, Lok slipped his arm-warmer on and picked up a small device. It looked like an amulet, but by no means contained a Titan. He tucked it inside a pocket close to his wrist. Then, he found his backpack and zipped in a bundle of clothes.

Cherit flew to Lok's shoulder and perched there; golden eyes bright with the expectations of a new adventure. Knowing what his familiar was thinking, Lok reached up and removed Cherit.

"Sorry, boy. You can't come with me, this time." He said, his eyes sad as he said this.

"Lok, how will you infiltrate the enemy's camp without me? You should not go alone." Cherit said.

"I won't be alone." Lok said, patting his arm-warmers. "I've got other Titans. Don't worry, Cherit. I'll send for you. Tell Motherboard to have the Cybersquad ready to move once I activate the tracking device. And tell her to drop everyone off as far from my signal as she can. I'll have Titans waiting for them. I need you to help them identify that that Titans are mine."

Cherit understood. "Will do, Lok. You just be careful."

"I will." Lok said.

He went to Max's room and rummaged around until he found what he was looking for; an article of clothing. Bulregard and Gareon would be better able to identify Max this way. Then, after patting Cherit on the head, Lok left Control Central.

Waving his hand, Lok only muttered two names, Gareon and Cavalier. In a flash of light, both Titans appeared; Gareon, a two-foot long lizard, and Cavalier, the armored, fire-sword carrying fighter. Lok held the shirt out to Gareon who took a whiff, then crawled up onto the young Seeker's shoulder.

"Find Max." Lok said to Gareon as he climbed onto Cavalier's back. "And let's be quick about it."

Cavalier nodded, and opened his great wings. With a push form his legs, Cavalier flew out the open bay doors. Gareon slithered won Lok's arm and came to rest on Cavalier's head. His reptilian head turning this way and that as his nostrils flared, taking in the scents of Cyberspace. Through his bond, Lok felt Gareon pick up Max's sent and Lok carefully directed Cavalier in the direction Gareon's head was pointing.

While Cavalier flew through Cyberspace, Lok settled on the big Titan's back and attempted the sight-share again. He managed to find max's cord but it was too difficult to hang on to and when he did grab it, he felt nothing but pain.

_We're running out of time._ He thought, his eyes opening.

He poured as much energy as he could spare into Cavalier. But he knew he couldn't rush the Titan. Gareon, with his limited sense of smell could only help so much, too. But all his other scout Titans were either too large or two small to be of much use.

Just then, Gareon let out a growl and rushed to stand on Cavalier's head. Lok leaned forward and placed a hand on Cavalier's neck. "What is it, Gareon? Do you sense her?"

Gareon raised a claw and pointed down at a Cybersite below. Lok looked down and saw a small, one-seater cybercoop. The same cybercoop Max left in earlier that day. And it was on Cybersite Nowhere, which was nowhere near Shangri-La.

"_Cavalier, land on that site."_ Lok said, laying flat across Cavalier's back with his fingers tucked into his Titan's armored collar. Gareon fastened himself onto Lok's t-shirt and hung on.

Cavalier nodded in understanding and started to descend. Once on the site, Lok invoked Bulregard and showed him Max's shirt. The barrel-chested Gaia-Titan scout snuffled about, sniffing around the cybercoop. At one point, he stopped and concentrated on one spot. Lok shut his eyes and concentrated. He could smell it, too. A strange scent that wasn't at all like Max. Bulregard sniffed around the coop some more. In the scout's mind, a map of the events took place and reflected back to Lok. Max's scent was mixed with the stranger's. Then, it ended about three yards from Max's coop. A new, nose-clogging scent invaded their olfactory senses. Lok covered his nose with a hand.

"Gah. Gareon, can you track it?" Lok asked, looking at the lizard on his shoulder.

The little Yama-Titan scout nodded.

"Okay." Lok said. He waved his hand at Bulregard and the larger scout vanished back inside his amulet. "Cavalier, I require your services."

Cavalier nodded and approached. Lok jumped onto his back and hung on tightly as the Draco-titan warrior took off; Gareon pointing the way.

The smokey odor was foul and heavy. Lok could only guess it was an old, rusty coop with an exhaust leak somewhere. Obviously whoever took Max wasn't counting on a Seeker with a scout-type Titans under his thumb. Or maybe they weren't expecting anyone to come to Max's rescue. It irritated Lok by how ignorant this person seemed to be. How . . . pompous they were. Lok began making dark promises under his breath. If whoever took Max hurt her, he would bring the pain much harder on them.

And he had just the Titan to do that.

Lok's hand closed around the bulge in his pants pocket. In one way, he kind of wished he hadn't brought this particular Titan. It would take a lot of energy to invoke him. And depending on how many titans he had to invoke, the result would ultimately drain him.

Lok shook his head and realized they were heading north. Lok's coolant froze. He knew where they were going. To the one place in Cyberspace where bad things were known for happening: The Northern Frontier.

Lok knew about the Northern Frontier. He also knew about Max's ordeal at Hacker's hands, both before and after becoming a gargoyle. But what Lok couldn't understand why someone bring her all the way out her. The Northern Frontier was Hacker's safe-haven. It was the place he returned to when he failed in his attempts at controlling Cyberspace. As far as Lok knew, the Site was completely uninhabited. Only the hangar where the Grimm Wreaker once stood.

Lok got his answer when Cavalier landed on a rise near the hangar. With a wave of his hand, the two Titans were joined back with their amulets and Lok stood and looked around.

The hangar looked mostly empty. But a closer look told him everything was not as they appeared. The windows were blackened, not from disuse, but because they had been covered over. Lok knew he had best check it out.

"Scarabese." He said.

Five beams of light shot out of the amulet and five beetles appeared. The one-eyed black ones moved off toward the hangar while the slit-eyed golden one crawled up Lok's arm and latched onto his face, a hatch opened on its back and Lok could see. But not only could he see, he could see what the other Scarabese were seeing.

It was a moment for Lok's brain to organize the images he was seeing. The effect of seeing from four eyes was disorienting, particularly when the Scarabese were looking at four different objects at once. It took intense concentration just to figure out which image came from which Scarabese.

Lok squatted and waited, closing his right eye to lessen the confusion. One Scarabese circled the building, another climbed up the building, and the other two went inside. One Scarabese inspected a various part of the building; scanning objects that obstructed their way. The last one headed straight toward the back of the room. And Lok gasped.

Max was there, but she didn't look right. She hung motionless from a cross-like steel structure. Her access panel was missing, steam and smoke issued from the opening. Hollow plastic tubes were forced into her sides and a greenish liquid poured into her system. Lok began to wonder if Max was even in pain. The large computer screen behind her told him she was, indeed, in pain, but was too far out of it to even notice.

Having gotten everything he needed, Lok began to recall the Scarabese when something caught the center scout's eye. A tall, slight figure with red hair and a pointy hat was moving around the crucifix, wrapping a heavy polymer strap around Max's body. The strap went around her waist, across her chest, and around her shoulders. Then, after driving a nail through the ends of the strap, the figure pulled the strap tight and nailed it to the top of the cross. Then, after unzipping her sleeves and pulling them down, and with a peg and a small mallet, the figure popped out the cottering pin in Max's arm hinges, untied her wrists, and cut the wires holding the arms to the rest of her shoulders.

Lok knew right then that Max really was out of it. If anyone did that while she was still conscious, she would have been screaming bloody murder. Lok knew he had to act fast. With one hand, he found the tracking device and pushed the button.

0

Wicked couldn't believe her luck. First, she captured her enemy and now she got to play with her a little. Of course, Wicked was also a little annoyed at that little prick, Ledge, for his rules. Wicked wanted to scrap Max while she was still alive, but Ledge was adamant this was better. Frankly, Wicked couldn't see why this was better. Having her incapacitated while the program replayed all of Max's worst moments stored in her ROM and using Hydrofluoric acid to make melt her internal circuits wasn't Wicked's idea for fun. The acid was destroying everything and when the acid destroyed everything, they couldn't get more money out of the parts.

Wicked leaned against the table and looked at the pathetic excuse for a Shield-maiden. She couldn't help but scoff. _So, this is the kid who murdered my Hackey-poo? What a joke!_

She stood up and when to Max, binding her to the cross before taking her arms. Much to Wicked's disappointment, Max didn't scream, nor did she give any indication that she knew was missing something.

_This is no fun!_ Wicked thought. _Damn that Ledge and his decision to be merciful._

She put the arms down and started to locate Ledge when something caught her eye. A black beetle with one eye. Wicked was no expert on Seekers and quickly decided it was a spy device. She knew Ledge wouldn't _dare_ spy on her, though, and immediately narrowed it down to an intruder.

Wicked's eyes narrowed and centered on the three henchmen who were supposed to be standing guard, but God knows what they were really up to.

"Oh Buzzy!" Wicked said in her sweetest of voices.

The small, round-bodied bot waddled into Wicked's view. "Yes, Miss Wicked?" He said.

"Did you know there's a beetle in my equipment? Did you?"

Buzz nodded, but the confusion was there. Wicked wasn't convinced.

"Did you?"

Buzz nodded again. Wicked _still_ wasn't convinced.

"_Did you?_"

Buzz shook his head.

"THERE'S A BEETLE IN MY EQUIPMENT!" Wicked shrieked and Buzz covered his head with both hands. Wicked grabbed Buzz by the antenna. "Now you quit fooling around and do your job you empty-headed twit!"1 She let him drop and watched him scuttle away.

1

Lok had seen everything he needed to. After calling the black Scrabese back, the young Seeker plucked the golden Scarabese off his eye. Then, from the pack he had slung over his shoulder, he removed the bundle, and tossed it onto the round. He was a little nervous as this was the first time he actually used Anubian in a fight.

The sound of a portal opening in the distance told Lok the Cybersquad had arrived. He invoked Kipperin, Sorcerell, and Icarus and sent them to retrieve the Cybersquad. Then, he waited.

0

The Cybersquad wasn't sure what to do expect when Motherboard yanked them out of their lives on Earth and spat them out on the Northern Frontier. The fact they were on the Northern Frontier was, in itself, creepy. They hadn't expected to return to this place since Hacker's death. Yet, here they were. The kids stood up and dusted themselves off while they took a look around.

"Whoa!" Matt said, noticing Cherit for the first time. "Who are you?"

"This is Cherit." Digit said. "He's Lok's familiar."

"You mean Max's apprentice?" Inez asked.

"Yes." Cherit said, settling on the grass next to Digit. "Lok left me behind so I could help you."

"He's not used to being separated from his master this long." Digit said.

"Okay, guys. Where do we go from here?" Jackie asked.

"We're supposed to wait for Lok to send his Titans to us." Cherit said.

"Titans?" Matt asked. "What are – hey! What are those guys?"

From over the hill came three flying figures: a four-winged, green skinned insect; a woman wearing a cape, armor, and a winged helmet; and a glue-skinned man with wings where his arms should be. Cherit waited until the figures got closer before introducing them.

"These are three of Lok's Titans. Sorcerell, Kipperin, and Icarus. They're here to take yo to Lok."

"Cool!" Matt said. "Which one is mine?"

Cherit gestured with a paw. "Pick one." He said, indifferently.

"Okay. I choose, Icarus." Inez said. The winged man nodded and turned his back to Inez so the teen could climb aboard.

"I choose Kipperin." Matt said. Then, as an afterthought, "Wait, are we sure he can hold me?"

"He picks Lok up all the time." Digit said. "Believe me, he's stronger than he looks."

Before Matt could protest, Kipperin wrapped his tentacle-like legs around Matt's waist and shoulders.

"I guess that leaves me with Sorcerell." Jackie said. "Not that I'm complaining. She looks cool."

Sorcerell smiled and picked Jackie up in both arms. The fifteen-year-old girl wrapped her arms around Sorcerell's neck. At that moment, Cherit grabbed Digit and pulled him up into the air.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Digit protested.

"Lok's orders. I fly faster than you, anyway." Cherit said.

"Fine." Digit said with exasperation.

With that, the eight of them flew across the Northern Frontier, coming to a stop at the hillock where Lok was still squatting. And he wasn't alone. A big Titan wearing the garb of an Egyptian Pharaoh, it's face insect like and its hands and feet each had an eye and six fingers or toes.

"What is that thing?" Jackie asked Lok.

"Anubian." Lok said, simply. I just used his individual components to scout out the area. Trust me, we'll need him." He withdrew some amulets, returned Icarus and Sorcerell to their amulets, and had Kipperin tie himself to him. "We'll need these guys, too. Breaker, Megataur, Kopesh, Sekhmet, Thornment, Fenris, Wolf Knight!"

Seven Titans appeared: a four-armed bear with tribal tattoos running down his body; a minotaur with broken chains encircling his neck, arms, and ankles; a pink-haired woman carrying a sword and waring armor and a horned helmet with the visor covering most of her face; a jackal-headed man; a panther-headed woman; and two armored wolves.

Lok promptly slipped the amulets back into his arm-warmers.

"Let's go." He said. "You guys try to free Max. I'll keep the others busy. Be careful how you handle her."

"Why? What's wrong with her?" Inez asked.

"You'll see soon enough." Lok said. "Let's go."

With his seven Titans and five friends in tow, the young Seeker made his way across to the hangar. With one hand, he sent a Boltflare spell at the door, blasting it open. With the other, he invoked Venadek and Impet; sending them to keep the henchmen occupied – Venadek to Delete, Impet to Buzz, and Cherit to Baskerville.

"Hey look, Buzzy. It's so cute!" Delete said.

Buzz didn't think so, but it was cuter than the Titan guarding him.

No sooner had the team rushed in than Wicked shrieked and fired off a few spells: Boltflare, Augerfrost, and Kindlestrike. Lok protected them all with Armorbrand and sent his fighters in to work against Wicked.

"Find Max!" He shouted.

They found her, but they didn't like what they were seeing.

"Max." Inez said, covering her mouth with both hands as her eyes welled up with tears. "What have they done to you?"

Matt reached up and tilted Max's head back; stunned when he saw the vacant stare and slack jaw. He was so captivated that he barely noticed the heat coming off her forehead until it burned him.

"What the hell are you waiting for? Grab her!" Lok shouted.

"We can't! She's too hot!" Matt yelled back.

"Shit." Lok muttered. He found a fire extinguisher hanging on the wall and flipped it to them. "Here! Spray this inside her circuits. It should keep her cool."

Jackie caught the extinguisher, pulled the pin, aimed, and sprayed. White foam coated the entirety of her circuits. With Max cooled down, the Cybersquad attempted to free her, but ran into a roadblock. The nail didn't want to budge. Lok noticed and raised his left hand.

"Springer!"

A two-tailed fox appeared. It scrambled up the crucifix and pried the nail loose. While Inez and Jackie untied her, Matt reached out to pull the tubes out.

"Wait!" Digit said. "Careful how you pull that out. That's an acid. If it has enough power to melt her circuits like that, it also has the power to hurt you, too."

"So, what do we do?" Jackie asked.

Digit saw the solution. A button which said ACTIVATE. Digit punched it and the acid stopped flowing. "Okay. Pull them out, but make sure the ends are pointing up."

Matt grabbed a tube and pulled. The pointed tip parted with max's skin. Matt grabbed the other tube and pulled. "Okay! We're free." He announced.

"But she's still too hot to handle!" Jackie said.

"Shit." Lok said again. He raised his right hand. "Lindorm!"

A Titan that resembled a cross between a snake and a dog appeared. The creature gathered Max up in his paws and tucked her close to his shoulder; the teen borg nearly vanishing in the greyish-black pelt.

"Wait." Inez said. She reached up, seized the dongle, and pulled it out.

Behind the crucifix, the screen – which had been black – lit up. ROM ACCESS: INTERRUPTED.

"What does that mean?" Matt asked. He spotted a pair of arms laying on a bench and tossed them into his backpack along with two cottering pins.

"No time." Lok said. He sent Knight Wolf, Fenris, and Breaker in to grab the Squad while he revoked the remaining Titans. "We've got to get out of here." He touched the tracking device again.

"NO!" Wicked shrieked, wand in hand. "She must die! She must pay for what she did to my Hackey-poo! I won't let you take her!"

Outside, a portal opened and everyone ran toward it. Except for Lok. The boy reached inside his pocket and took out the amulet.

"This is for Max." He said. "King Basilisk!"

Wicked, not knowing the meaning behind the name, met the gaze of a red-eyed demon.

Lok had Kipperin turn toward the Portal, revoked King Basilisk, and jumped in, his energy now nearly gone.

* * *

1 These ten lines are from Rescuers Down Under; edited by Tari J Dieter


	12. Tears from the Saints

_Chapter twelve. haven't run out of tissues yet, have you? This one is a little nicer than the last chapter but still a little sad. We get to meet Eathon and learn a little more about him. Also, the "resurrection scene" comes from Naruto Shippuuden. You'll know it when you see it - if you're a Naruto fan, that is.  
_

_I also want to point out something. The original idea to kill Max didn't actually happen this way, but it carried a lot more emotional baggage with it than this one - trust me, I actually cried when this idea came though my head and i'm usually desensitized by all the emotions that come with the chapters i write. Originally, Max had been conscious throughout the entire dismantling process but the rescue team showed up and took her away before Wicked and Ledge could do anything else to her. However, there was a lot of damage done to her system and Marbles knew he could fix her while she was conscious. He ended up shutting her down and, while he was doing it, he kept apologizing to Max over and over again while his finger was hovering over her offswitch. She kept saying "it's okay, Dad" but she's crying too so he doesn't believe her. it basically tears him up having to do it. after that, i was going to quit writing this story for a while.  
_

_However, this scenario worked out a lot better than that one. Not as much emotional baggage involved, of course, that's just me. And, it turns out well in the end.  
_

_I don't own Cyberchase_._ Max is mine. Echo belongs exclusively to Kawaii Stella and her story Picking up the Broken Glass. I should probably also mention that Lok is not mine. the transmutation circle and the laws of Equivalent Exchange, along with the gates belong to FullMetal Alchemist.  
_

* * *

Chapter Twelve  
Tears from the Saints

Ledge had been in deep concentration when the rescue team showed up. He was sitting on the floor powering a Transmutation circle when a yell caught his attention.

"NO! She must die! She must pay for what she did to my Hackey-poo!"

The voice was unmistakably Wicked's. Ledge made a nose of disgust as he released his hold on the circle and left the room; opening the door just in time to see a winged demon crouching on the floor. Ledge had already heard the demon's name and he knew what the word "basilisk" meant. He looked away just as a flash of red light appeared. Then, King Basilisk was gone . . . and so was the rescue party and Max.

Ledge stepped around the hull of the old coop and looked into the face of the statue that used to be Wicked. His face expressionless.

"Sorry about Wicked, Boss." Delete said, cowering lest Ledge decide to hit him.

Ledge shrugged. He never really cared too much about Wicked. She was a pushy, nagging little bitch. The fact she was gone did not change Ledge's plans for Cyber-domination. In fact, he was glad she was gone. She had served her purpose as his teacher. It saved him the time and energy of getting rid of her himself.

"Never mind that." He said, softly. "Let's get ready for the next phase of the plan."

"Next phase?" Baskerville asked.

Ledge gave him a look and Baskerville caught on.

"Oh. _That_ phase, my liege." Baskerville clapped his hands together. "Let's do it."

1

The portal spat them out on the control room floor where they were immediately met by two familiar faces. Marbles rushed to them with Ada in tow; his attention centered entirely on Max, who was still being handled by Lindorm.

"Max!" He said, reaching out to touch her cheek. No sooner had his fingers made contact with her skin than he yelped and jerked his hand back. After a minute of staring, he laid his hand against her forehead. "She's burning up. Her system is overheating." With a penlight, he checked her eyes. "And she's waking up. This isn't good. We need to cool her down before her system crashes, and quick."

"Okay, Doc. What do we do now?" Digit asked.

Marbles wasted no time dishing out orders. "Digit, go to my workshop and grab the respirator – don't argue or protest, just do it. Inez, you draw a cold water bath; make sure the tube is good and full, I wanna be able to immerse her completely. Jackie, I need a bucket of ice from the kitchen. Make that two buckets; we want to be prepared. Matt, in my store room is a machine for taking temperature. It's a big box with a coil of wires wrapped around the handle. Don't forget the patches, those are in a package on the shelf. Bring them tot he bathroom Ada, I'm going to need you to go to Max's room and bring me a change of clothes."

Everyone nodded and went about their business. Then, Marbles turned to Lok. "Thank you, Lok, for saving my daughter."

Lok gave Marbles a cocky smile, but the way he was leaning on Lindorm's arm told the doc that Lok was now very tired. He had had trouble revoking all his Titans but Lindorm.

"No problem." The young Seeker said.

"Are you alright?" Marbles asked.

"I'm fine. I just invoked one Titan too many. I just need to rest a while then I'll be right as rain." Lok said.

Cherit gave him a look; his golden eyes angry. Marbles began to wonder exactly which of his Titans did he invoke that made him so exhausted and Cherit so mad at him.

"Do you have enough energy to have this Titan deliver Max to the bathroom?" Marbles asked. He had just heard Max released a raspy breath and was reminded of the grave situation.

"Controlling them is easy. Invoking them is hard." Lok said. He was, then, silent for a moment. Then, "There. Lindorm will answer to you now. Just send him back to me when you're finished with him."

"I will." Marbles promised, squeezing Lok's shoulder. "You go get some sleep. Lindorm, please come with me."

The large Gaia-Titan warrior nodded and drifted along behind marbles. Lok stayed behind in the control center, watching his Titan work for his master's father. A sad thought drifted into his mind and Lok wiped his eyes off on the back of his hand. Sleep was the farthest thing from his mind right then. Seeing Marbles tenderly care for max like that opened a well of emotions for Lok. He wished his father was here with him and he wished his father had been that tenderhearted toward him, too. Instead, Eathon had just dropped him off on Shangri-La and, even when the gargoyle threat was gone, did not return for him. Lok hated that. He hated that he never had a choice in thw matter. That Eathon had never even asked Lok how he felt about this. Instead, the man just abandoned him.

Lok went to his room and collapsed, face-down, on his bed. _What kind of borg leaves behind his only kid?_ He thought, bitterly.

When exhaustion finally took him, Cherit carefully slipped the arm-warmers from Lok's hands and poured the amulets into the box – leaving Lindorm's amulet out. Then, he fished around in Lok's pocket until he found King Basilisk's amulet and dumped it into the box, too. Once the box was stashed in a drawer by the bed, Cherit curled up at the foot of the bed and slept.

0

Meanwhile, Marbles, Ada, and the Cybersquad were making preparations in the bathroom. Inez had gotten the tub about half-way full of water when Marbles and Lindorm arrived. Marbles motioned for Lindorm to set Max down inside the tub and he knelt by the end and supported her head. Once Jackie arrived with the ice, she poured a few cubes inside the water. Then, Ada, Matt, and Digit appeared with their supplies. Marbles asked Digit to place the respirator by the tub and put the mask on. Then, after pasting sensor pads on her forehead and chest, Max's head was lowered into the water and the respirator was switched on.

Marbles watched the numbers on the machine rise as it took her body temperature and activity. The red lights on the respirator told him her breathing was irregular. A few times, it had to force air into her system because she wasn't taking in enough.

After a few minutes of waiting, Ada leaned into Marbles and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Matthias, we really should take into account that Max may not survive." She whispered. When she received an astonished look from him, she began to reword it. "I mean, look at her. Whoever it was that tortured her wanted to make sure she died. This is an act of vengeance, Matthias, not a mercy killing."

Marbles leaned over to inspect her still-exposed access shaft. "Yes." He said. He pointed to the miles of equipment running through her. "All of this is ruined. Like it's been melted. Oh, Ada. I don't know know what to do! I don't want to turn her off but I may need to."

Ada wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing herself to him. "You'll do what is necessary. Even if that necessary thing is the most difficult."

"Wait." Jackie said. "When you say 'turn her off' you don't mean 'shut her down' do you? I mean, like a total shut down?"

"Maybe not a _total_ shut down, but I may have to do a shut down." He pointed to her internal circuitry. "Her circuit board and CPU are all corroded. Her battery is almost dissolved. The wiring is almost gone. It's almost like she's been flooded by an -"

"By an acid." Digit suggested.

Marbles looked at him. "What do you know?" He asked gently so his words wouldn't be taken the wrong way.

Digit pointed to the puckered holes. "There were tubes in her sides that were flushing a green liquid. She was smoking and steaming, too."

"Did you say a _green_ liquid?" Ada asked him.

"Yeah. Why? What is it?" Digit asked.

Marbles looked at Ada. The telegraphing was almost tangible.

"Hydrofluoric acid." Marbles said. He grabbed Matt by the elbow. "Go back to my store room. On the shelf on the far wall from the door is a squeeze bottle with a hooked nozzle. It contains a clear solution. Bring it here."

"Right." Matt said. As he stood up, the shift of his backpack jogged his memory. Removing the bag, he pulled out Max's arms and cottering pins and laid them on the floor. "I found these on a bench while we were there." With that, he left.

Marbles took them, shocked by the angled cut on he wires. "Who did this?" He asked.

"The Wicked Witch was there. I think she was the one working on her." Digit said. "Can you fix her, Doc?"

"This will be a nightmare and a half to fix. I'll need to replace all the wiring through this whole structure, _and_ – that's not event he best part –"

"Oh circuits! Here we go." Ada said, rolling her eyes.

Marbles ignored that statement. "– I would need to string new wiring to her circuit board, rewire all of this to her CPU and replace her battery pack. That's all _after_ I replace all of this."

Just as he was speaking, Max moved and a muffled groan escaped her open mouth. She kicked the end of the tub, her head stretched up and cords stood out on her neck. Then, she went still. LEDs lit up on the front of the respirator and began blinking. Numbers on the temperature machine declined swiftly and a loud beeping issued from the speaker, warning them about a flatline.

"No. Nonononono!" Marbles cried, reaching into the tub to pound on max's chest like one who would try to restart a heart. "Come on, Max! Don't quit on me now! Wake up! Come on! Wake up!" He punctuated each word with a pound of his fist, but nothing happened.

Ada reached over and caught Marbles' hand on a downswing. "Matthias, that's enough. She's gone." Ada said. At her words, Inez and Jackie grabbed each other and started to cry.

"Not yet she's not."

Everyone turned to look at the four figures in the doorway. Three men and a woman. The kids knew all of them but one, though the fourth looked vaguely familiar.

"Erasmus! What are you doing here?" Marbles asked.

"Always the tone of surprise with you, Matthias. Max is one of my warriors, and a trusted friend. It was at my prompting that young Lok went out to rescue her. He did his part, and it's time for us to do ours."

Under his left arm was a roll of tan canvas which was tied shut with a strip of twine. With his right hand he untied the canvas and with his left, he unrolled it on the floor. An intricate circle was painted on the canvas.

"Whoa. What is that?" Matt asked, having just arrived with the chemical solution. He passed the squeeze bottle to Marbles.

Pi smiled at the inquisitive boy. "A Transmutation circle." He said. "There are circles of all kinds in Alchemy. This one, in particular, is for healing and restoration." He pointed at Lindorm who still hadn't been returned to his Seeker. "Take her out of there."

Lindorm turned to Marbles, the last person he had been instructed to obey. Marbles nodded his consent and Lindorm hauled Max out of the water. The sensors and mask here peeled away as she was laid on the canvas.

"Place her arms by her just as they should be." Pi instructed.

Digit laid Max's arms down in the proper position and placed the pins by the sockets. Pi and the Alchemists sat on the floor around Max.

"If you want to leave, now would be the best time." PI said.

"Come on, guys. I don't think we should see this." Jackie said, grabbing Inez by the hand. Inez couldn't help but agree.

Once the kids left, Pi nodded to Marbles. "Pour some of that onto her circuits."

Marbles leaned in between the woman and Pi and squeezed in some of the solution. With a hiss, the acid was nullified. Pi then nodded to the man across from him.

"Eathon. You can start."

Eathon placed his hands over Max's Chest. "Findshape."

Right away, the circuits, boards, and the like rebuilt themselves. The wires poking out of her shoulders joined with the wires on her arms; sucking the appendages into place and the pins jumped into place.

"Now." PI said, slapping his hands together in the Alchemist-style sign. Eathon put his fists together, making Ada, Marbles, and Digit believe he wasn't an Alchemist.

"Everheal!" They said.

The room darkened and the circle beneath Max began to glow. Bluish lightning lanced from the circle, sucking energy out of the room itself, and dancing across Max's body; attempting to recharge her system. The Alchemists' faces deepened with concentration and they remained seated on the floor for several minutes.

_While they attempted to heal Max, the four of them arrived at the threshold of the gates where the shadowy figure that was Max's spirit now stood._

"_Max!" Pi said, reaching for his only female warrior._

"_Master!" Max said, extending her own hands toward him. The fear on her face was easy to see and quite understandable. Once she passed through the gates, there would be no way they could retrieve her. Not without paying a severe price for trying to resurrect her._

"_Max, come here!" Pi said, beckoning her to him._

_Max made her way across the threshold at a dead run. But the gates had already begun to open._

"_Quickly!" Alphius cried. He had visited the threshold many times and he knew what events followed the opening of the gates._

"_Yes! Quickly!" Ginny said. She had been to the threshold, too, though not near as often as Alphius, and she knew what happened when the gates opened, too._

_It was too late. The gates swung open and dozens of eyes peered out at them. Glowing, evil-looking eyes. Eyes floating above gloating mouths. Black hands stretched like elastic from the gates, wrapping themselves around Max's arms, neck, torso, and legs; pulling her back across the threshold while she screamed._

"_NO!" The scream itself was loud and shrill enough to curdle milk. _

"_MAX!" Pi shouted. _

_He made as though to start for her when Eathon broke their line and ran full-tilt to rescue the teen borg._

"_Master! Please, save me!" Max yelled. This was her first time to the threshold and the gate-folk frightened her – the fear easily seen in her eyes and on her face. She didn't know what lay beyond those heavy doors._

_Their fingertips touched, his passing through hers like they never existed. Then, she vanished behind the gates which slammed shut._

"Erasmus, if we keep this up, we'll have to pay the price." Ginny said on Pi's left.

"You're right." Pi said, lowering his hands and cutting off his connection to the circle and, therefore, starving the gates of his power.

Marbles moved away from Ada and Digit, peering hopefully over the Shangrinese Alchemist's shoulder. He frowned when there was no response.

"What happened?" He asked. "Why didn't you bring her back?"

"She crossed past the gates. There's nothing we can do now. Resurrecting the dead comes at a horrible price. It's never the same twice." Alphius said, rising.

"So, she's actually gone, now?" Digit said. "I mean, Max is actually dead this time?" He looked close to tears. Up until now, he had thought of Max as being tough and indestructible. The fact she was now dead didn't sit well with him.

"Yes. We can't do anything now. Crossing into the gates to retrieve someone always comes with a price. A price we cannot pay." Pi said. He touched Marbles on the shoulder just as the borg began to cry. "I'm sorry, Matthias. I really wish there was something I can do."

As he was speaking, a prickling sensation itched at the back of his neck. He turned and saw a figure standing in the hallway, looking very stunned and sad at the same time, caught his eye. Pi moved toward the door and regarded the red-haired girl with the vivid-green eyes.

"I know you." He said, softly. "I – I sent for you."

The girl was taken aback. "Sent for me?"

"Yes." Pi said. "I've been aware of your presence, Echo Glasgow, even before you knew of this world. Just as I have been aware of all the pain inside Max after everything Hacker had done to her. You share the same pain. I knew you could help her through that pain."

"I – I'm not sure I understand." Echo said.

"Max needed someone who could understand what she was going through. Both of you have a common background. Both of you have suffered abuse. And both of you have been rejected by society but accepted by some." Pi reached out and touched Echo on the forehead. Despite not liking physical contact, Pi's hand was comforting. "You needed her, too."

"Erasmus, who is this girl?" Eathon asked.

"Eathon, even in your retirement, even you should be able to recognize magical talent when you see it."

"You mean – you mean she's an Alchemist?" Ginny asked.

"No. Not an Alchemist. Someone who works on a much higher level than an Alchemist. And, someone who can pass the gates' eye without the consequences of Equivalent Exchange. Perhaps she might be able to bring Max back." Pi said. He put his hands inside his wide sleeves and stared down at Echo. "Do you know what I'm talking about?"

"Yeah. I do know some of what you're talking about."

"Do you know how to heal someone?"

"Yeah, but I've never tried it on a cyborg before."

"It's not much different." Pi said. He motioned to Max's inert form. "Would you be willing to try?"

Echo hesitated, then walked in. At first, she walked around Max; sizing up the situation. Then, she noticed the circle and barely recognized the formula written on the canvas. She pointed to it and looked up at Pi.

"Can I use this?" She asked.

"You're welcome to try." Pi said, spreading his hands in a gesture that suggested he didn't care if she used it or not.

Echo knelt and held her hands out over Max's body. After closing her eyes, she dove deep into the spiritual realm.

1

_The Threshold was a both a fascinating and frightening place to be. Echo wasn't sure what she expected to find when she arrived at the Threshold, nor was she sure how she got there. The last thing she remembered doing was following Max's vibe to this place._

_Twice she considered backing out and both times she reminded herself Max was her friend. Besides, if their roles were reversed, Echo knew Max would do the same._

_She swallowed and stared at the gates; trying to figure out what was so creepy about them. They were just a pair of large, heavy, concrete doors hovering above the floor with only a shadow beneath them to indicate the presence of a floor. The gates was decorated with a large tree with words written in Latin. A crack ran down the entire length of the doors and Echo wondered what could possibly be on the other side._

_She stood still a moment and waited. Max had been here. In fact, Max had even been standing right in front of the gates. Whether waiting to cross or waiting for someone to come for her was undecided at the moment. However, Echo could also sense the presence of the four other magical beings who had been here before her. Pi and the others._

"_What is this? A new Alchemist come to trade for something?" The gates rumbled._

_Echo jumped at the words. She hadn't expected to hear such a human-sounding voice coming from a non-human object._

"_Trade?" Echo finally said._

"_First rule of Alchemy: in order to get something in return, one must give something of equal or greater value. This is the Law of Equivalent Exchange and is heeded by all who practice Alchemy." The gates said. "What is it you want? What have you to offer us?"_

"_I have nothing to offer you." Echo said, flatly. "But I have come for something."_

"_What is it?"_

"_You have taken a friend from me. Max Marbles. I want her back."_

"_Foolish little Alchemist." The gates said with a chuckle. "It is not that simple. You have not yet given us a gift in return for this friend. But since you are new, we will give you a fair warning. Attempting to bring back a soul will cost you far more than most are willing to give up."_

"_I don't care! I want her back! Give her to me!"_

_Now the gates vibrated with anger. "If you will not offer us a gift, than we will take you in her place."_

_The gates opened and, for a moment, thoughts of breaking off the connection ran through Echo's head as black hands reached for her. Before Echo had time to flinch or cower from them, the hands stopped only feet away from touching her; fingers recoiling as though burned._

"_W – what are you?" The gates asked, both straining against the invisible force-field and pulling away from the unpleasantness she presented. "You're no Alchemist! You're – you're –"_

"_A Sorceress." Echo finished. "One not bound by the Laws of Equivalent Exchange." She took a step toward the gates and the black hands moved away from her; threatened by her presence. "I will take Max away from you whether you want me to or not."_

_With each step she took toward the gates, the hands recoiled and receded. Not once did they try to touch her. They couldn't. The power pulsing off her kept them at bay. Echo allowed herself a small smile as she crossed the Threshold and broke into the darkness to the other side._

I'm coming for you, Max. I'm coming.

0

Since Echo's arrival at Control Central, Eathon felt his services were no longer required. Knowing this, he beckoned Lindorm to his side and the great Titan followed him – not surprisingly to Eathon since Lindorm had belonged to him once upon a time. The bond was still there – intangible but still in existence.

The housing sector had a large bathroom, a den, three bedrooms, and a small industrial-sized kitchen. The only areas of the housing sector Eathon had any interest in were the bedrooms. As he strolled down the corridor, he read the names off on the panels over each door. When he came to Lok's room, Eathon hesitated before knocking and the door slid open to reveal a small, white, cat-like creature. It's golden eyes locked onto Eathon's blue ones.

"Yes?" It asked. "Can I help you?"

"I'm here to speak to Lok." Eathon said, curtly. He recognized the creature as a Cherit and was surprised to even see it there since he knew Cherits were extinct.

"I'm not sure how much talking Lok is going to do." The Cherit said. "He's very exhausted at the moment."

"Yes. I'm sure he is." Eathon said, nodding in agreement. "I'll make it quick, then."

Cherit hesitated, then opened the door and hovered in the air while Eathon strode past him. As he went to Lok's bed where the boy was sleeping, Eathon began to question the little creature; surprised to learn that Max had actually created him from two separate kits and filled his head with the Seeker database. Eathon was, on the other hand, pleased to learn that Cherit had been made to be a familiar to Lok.

As the man stood over Lok, he felt himself being filled with questions. Particularly his decision to hand Lok off to Master Pi all those years ago. How much Lok had grown since then, and Eathon had missed it.

"I hear he's learning how to be a Sword-Thane." Eathon said to Cherit.

"Yes. Max has been training him in that matter for a while now." Cherit said, nodding proudly. He lighted on the footboard, his tufted tail curling around his haunches. "She has also been teaching him to use his head . . . unfortunately, that lesson doesn't seem to be penetrating very well."

"In what way?" Eathon asked after a moment of silence.

Cherit explained that Lok had taken a large collection of Titans with him to rescue Max from the Northern Frontier. The cyber-titan had tried to keep Lok from taking one Titan in particular because of its hard, touchy nature – as well as the nasty ability it had. Lok had taken the Titan with him anyway and, in the process, used the Titan on one of the pursuing adversaries.

"Let me guess. . . . It was King Basilisk." Eathon said, suddenly wishing he hadn't left Lok that Titan.

Cherit nodded.

"Did he kill the pursuer?"

Cherit nodded again.

Eathon brushed his hair back off his forehead and let out a sigh which buzzed his lips. He didn't know what to do, now. The fact Lok had used a Titan to kill someone was bad enough. The fact he had used King Basilisk to do it was even worse. Add the fact Lok was only nine – turning ten in only a few months – only escalated the problem.

Eathon sat on the bed and touched Lok's shoulder, his conversation with Cherit now done. "Son. Wake up."

Lok's breathing quickened. He yawned and rolled over to look his father in the eye. "Dad? What are you doing here?"

"Master Pi requested my services only a couple of hours ago. He didn't have enough Alchemists to perform a spell. And, since Seeker magic is relatively close to Alchemy, he figured it was better than nothing."

"But you're a _retired_ Seeker, Dad." Lok pointed out.

Eathon nodded. "True. But that doesn't change anything. I can still perform magic, Lok. I still possess the core my father, Dante, gave me. I can still draw energy from the core."

Lok sat up, now trying to avoid his father's gaze. "Why _did_ you retire from the Seeker's path?" He asked.

"I had other responsibilities, Lok, just as you soon will once I decide to give it to you. Of course, I won't give it to you until you are ready."

"When will that be?"

"When you have a son of your own to give your Titans to."

"Just like what you did me?"

Eathon smiled and ruffled his son's untidy hair. "Yeah. Just like what I did for you."

More silence followed. Lok still refused to meet his father's gaze and Eathon knew there was something else on the boy's mind.

"Something else, son?"

"Why did you leave me on Shangri-La? I mean, what was the point to dropping me off?" Lok asked.

"The point was to protect you." Eathon said.

"Protect me from what?"

"Lok, do you know nothing about our history? There was a gargoyle roaming Cyberspace loose – no rules and no leash to keep her in check. The history we, Seekers, share with gargoyles have always been a bloody one. If that gargoyle even knew you possessed Titans, well, she would've killed you right off."

"That's what you thought. Turns out, that gargoyle wasn't even looking for Seekers. She didn't even know about Seekers until she met me."

"That is true."

"So, you were wrong."

"Well, I suppose you could say that. But I couldn't risk her being a danger to everyone, especially to you. When she came to Radopolis looking for a place to stay for a while, I thought it wouldn't be safe for me to bring you back." Eathon sighed, realizing where this was going. "I had other people to think about, too. No doubt, the subjects of Radopolis would try to protect you and I just couldn't allow that to happen. I do have my people to think about, Lok, not just you."

"You used to say I was the most important thing in your life."

"That was before I got to be King of Radopolis." Eathon said. "Of course, you are still the most important thing in my life. But I still have an entire colony of people to think about, not just you."

"I see." Lok sighed and stretched out his legs on the bed. "Well, I have something to tell you, Dad. Max is a shape-shifter. She can turn into a gargoyle at will, now. Believe me, eradicating the entire lines of Aang and Rohan is the last thing on her mind. I've sparred with her and it was a pretty awesome experience."

"Has she come close to killing you?"

"No. That wasn't even on her agenda. Just because she had a gargoyle body, Dad, doesn't mean her mental capacity was that way."

"Yes. I seem to have misjudged that fact." Eathon said.

"You seem to have misjudged a lot of things." Lok said.

"I was merely acting on instinct. My instinct was to protect you."

Lok didn't want to talk about that subject any more. Thinking about Max in gargoyle form made him think about her in borg form, and that aroused a few questions.

"How _is_ Max?"

Eathon's long silence was answer enough for Lok and the boy couldn't help but start to cry. He didn't like crying. It made him feel weak and insignificant. He wasn't like Max who could bottle her emotions and put them on a shelf to deal with later. Lok's emotions exploded out of him the moment he felt them. In a way, he envied Max. The fact she could seem so calm and sure of herself. But he knew that all those emotions she was keeping to herself had to be tearing her apart – she had almost released it that day when he had accidentally used Boltflare.

"You mean she's really gone?" Lok managed to sob out.

Eathon looked scared, unsure of what to do. He wasn't good at dealing with the feelings of others. Especially his son.

"Yeah. We managed to track her as far as the threshold, but the gates sucked her in before we could retrieve her."

"You actually made it to the gates?"

"Lok, with the help of Alchemists, we Seekers can visit the gates, too." Eathon said.

"But you still can't do anything about it, can you?"

"No. She crossed to the other side. Once that happens, we can't retrieve anything. Believe me, Lok. We tried."

"You didn't try hard enough!" Lok exploded.

Tears streamed down his cheeks and his face was red. He leaped off the bed and stood in an aggressive stance. He looked ready to actually punch his father, though Eathon wouldn't blame him if he tried.

"You think that just because she's a shape-shifter, a non-Radopolan, and a non-Seeker, you can just treat her like trash! You think that she was worth less than any of us! Max did more for Cyberspace than you ever did in your Seeker years! And she at least deserved you guys to bring her back!"

Eathon had had just about enough of his son's smart mouth. But, at the same time, he could understand why Lok was acting this way. He rose, slowly, off the bed and stood there with his hands in his pockets.

"Let it out, Lok." He said. His voice was gentle but firm.

And let it out Lok did. Neither borg made any move to embrace or touch each other. It simply wasn't done for them. However, after glancing over his shoulder at the large Titan, Eathon was surprised by how still Lindorm was. It took intense concentration and emotional control to keep Lindorm in check. For Lindorm to not be performing his usual rolls was also surprising to Eathon.

Eathon spotted Lindorm's amulet on the bedside table and revoked the Titan. Then, just as he was putting the amulet back on the table, the door opened and Ginny poked her head in.

"You guys need to see this."

1

_The pain was gone. The only thing that was left was a light, floating sensation. One that Max was vaguely familiar with since she had moments like this before. Thrice she had almost died and there was something inside that told her she had died this time. The thought was peaceful and she shut her eyes; allowing herself to float away._

"_Max. Max!"_

_The voice echoed across the empty plain. Max slowly opened her eyes, blinking several times in exhaustion._

"_Who is that? Who's calling me? Who is it?" Her eyes now fully open, she saw a hand hovering above her face. "This hand? Oh, it's just mine again. My hand. Me."_

_She put her hand down and saw a small child sitting away from her, weeping. The child was a girl and she was small, like a toddler, and had locks of short, untidy, brown hair. She didn't appeared to be injured, but Max knew the pain well. It was one she had been concealing so long from people. Especially her father who she hadn't expected to even understand._

Who am I? _The thought came about so suddenly, it startled her. She knew her own name and just as she was about to say it, a figure – flaming red hair and vivid-green eyes – appeared alongside the child and put a hand on her shoulder. In that same instant, a hand appeared on Max's shoulder. Max's head jerked up to see the person standing over her. It was an older version of the girl who had just touched the weeping child._

"_Max." The teen said, softly._

_Max scanned the girl's face and realized she knew her name. "Echo."_

_Echo smiled and gently pulled Max into a hug which Max returned._

Warmth crept into her body and, suddenly, she was laying on the floor of the Control Central bathroom. The anxious faces of everyone she knew looking at her.

Max sat up and let out a long series of ragged coughing. After a moment, she felt another hand on her back, without looking, she knew it was her father – she knew his touch just as he knew hers.

Marbles looked both worried and relieved. Max turned and grabbed him in a death-grip hug; fingers twisting in his jacket and face smooshed against his shoulder, she sobbed brokenly into him. Marbles wordlessly pulled her into him and cradled her softly against him. The hold was completely out of character for her, but Marbles didn't mind.

"It's about time she broke." Pi said, softly, as he ushered the others from the room.

All but one person left. Ada, who felt compelled to stay behind. She knelt on the floor and wrapped her arms around both Max and Marbles; holding them close to her. Max may not be, legitimately, her child, but Ada always considered her otherwise. The fact Max had almost been lost to them completely shook Ada to her core.


	13. The Truth Will Out

_Chapter thirteen. have you figured out Eathon's identity yet? If not, it's in here. you'll just have to read it to find it. also, some background on the crucifix and the program used. i like the end of this chapter, btw.  
_

_I don't own Cyberchase_._ Max is mine. Echo belongs exclusively to Kawaii Stella and her story Picking up the Broken Glass. I should probably also mention that Lok is not mine and belongs to Huntik: Secrets and Seekers. So does Eathon.  
_

* * *

Chapter Thirteen  
The Truth Will Out

"Man. Have you ever seen anyone break that hard before?" Matt asked.

"If you ask me, she should've cracked much sooner than now. She's been holding all that in for eleven months, now." Digit said.

"Really? Poor Max." Inez said in disbelief.

Master Pi had ushered them into the den to give the Marbles family time together. Even from down the hall, they could still hear Max sobbing loudly. And they could hear her sobbing for several minutes.

"Wait, didn't she defeat Hacker eleven months ago?" Jackie suddenly asked.

"Yes." Master Pi said from where he hovered by the door.

The Cybersquad looked at him. "And Max is just _now_ dealing with it!" Matt put in.

"She doesn't like dealing with things that upset her." Pi said, simply. "Hieronymus' defeat at her hands was something she disliked remembering. Apparently, her ordeal on the Northern Frontier was enough to make her break."

"You're telling me." Jackie said. "Just being in her position would've made me break, too."

Pi nodded, gravely. "Being in that position would make anyone break."

Inez sat up. "What _was_ all that about, anyway?" She asked. When Pi looked at her, quizzically, she went further. "I mean, Wicked had her strapped to a steel crucifix. And a large computer behind the crucifix said ROM access granted. What was that even about?"

Alphius, who knew more about history than Pi did, stepped forward. "Erasmus, if I may." Pi nodded his consent and Alphius turned to the kids. "A long time ago, our justice system was chaotic and imperfect. Our world was running purely on activity that could only be described as criminal. And these activities were punished quite severely.

"The crucifix, you mentioned, was one of the ways we used to punish criminals. It was our way of immobilizing a borg or a robot while we dismantled them and the computer behind them was, more or less, was the more merciful part of it."

"How was it merciful?" Matt asked. "I saw her face, it was like she wasn't even there!"

"In essence, she wasn't." Digit cut in. "ROM stands for Random Access Memory."

"No it doesn't." Inez the computer whiz said. "It means Read-Only Memory. There is a difference. RAM is the type of memory that can be edited. ROM is more of like a history."

"Sorry. I get the two confused, sometimes." Digit said. "Anyway, both the RAM and the Rom can be access through a USB port located somewhere on our bodies. In Max's case, on the back of her neck. With a special program, you can access the ROM and, in doing so, immobilize someone."

"That doesn't sound so bad." Matt said.

"It's worse than you think. Although, it is considered better than the alternative." Alphius said. "The alternative is being dismantled while still conscious. Or, having your system melted using an acid until it crashes."

"You mean like what happened with Max?" Jackie asked.

"Exactly what happened with Max." Alphius said. "Depending on your crime – anything from thievery to murder – the consequences of your actions usually resulted in the crucified disassembling. Murderers were usually left conscious while they were taken apart piece by piece and their various parts scrapped and sold at auction; recycled for future projects. A lesser crime would allow you to chose to be mentally immobilized while you're being taken apart. Of course, those that were given this option usually picked it. However, the result is usually the same. While they don't feel any pain, as soon as the battery pack, CPU, and circuit board are disconnected, the criminal would die."

"So, what did you have to do to get your parts melted by acid?" Matt asked.

"Invading justice and taking more than one life. Either of those alone would guarantee you a number to the crucifix." Alphius said. "Of course, melting the internal circuitry would decrease the value of what you're trying to scrap. Meaning, you wouldn't get much money out of it because the only working parts are the least valuable."

"Do you suppose the Wicked Witch was trying to scrap Max?" Inez asked. She shuddered to think of that possibility but it was still there.

"I have no doubt that was what she was intending to do. However, Wicked is a rogue-Alchemist, not a mechanic. She wouldn't know the first thing about scrapping anything, especially a high-maintenance borg like Max." Ginny cut in.

"When Max defeated Hacker, she offered to spend the minimum of four years in prison, but no one would move to arrest her. Since no one had any objections about her killing him, we had hoped everything would return to normal – at least as normal as it was before Hacker came into being. We hadn't expected for Wicked to escape from prison and seek vengeance, though she had swore to avenge her fallen love." Master Pi said. "We waited several months for something to come up but nothing ever did . . . until now. And we should've known something horrible was going to happen not long after Hacker was defeated."

"Like what?" Digit asked.

"Well, Wicked's evil for one." Alphius said. "Though, I do not think she was working alone during all this. It is nearly impossible to escape Cybersite Solitarium on your own. Which is why we believe she might have been aided in her escape attempt."

Further discussion on the matter ended right there when a tiny, tusked rat ran into the room carrying a note in its little rodent teeth. Jackie squealed with fright and jumped onto the seat of her chair so hard she sent it toppling backwards and, thus, threw herself off. Quick as a flash, she righted herself and ducked behind Matt.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING?" Jackie demanded.

"A Yama-Titan scout." Alphius said, simply. He lowered his hand and allowed the strange-looking rat to hop onto his palm. "Meet Gremlow. Seekers used to use them to spy on enemies and carry messages back and forth across short distances."

Inez stood up and approached Gremlow to get a better look. "He's cute." She said, stroking his head with a finger.

"Aye, he's cute now. But wait until he uses his special ability – Swarm. He's not so cute when there are about a thousand of them gathered around you." Ginny said.

"What's that in his mouth?" Matt asked.

Using two fingers, Alphius tugged the small square of paper from the miniature Titan's mouth. Then, after unfolding it one-handed and realizing it was written in Vol'kahR, he passed it off to Pi. Pi accepted it and read it in silence.

"We've been summoned to the kitchen. Max wants to talk to us about everything that's happened so far. At last, she no longer feels the need to hold all that in." He said.

"Let's go, then." Inez said. As she stood up, she offered her hand to Echo, who was sitting on the floor with her head on her knees. "Up you come."

Echo looked up at her, then accepted the gentle girl's hand. The eight of them, along with Gremlow, made their way down the hallway to the small, industrial-sized kitchen. Along the way, they heard yelling and plenty of obscenities best not repeated. Most of them were coming from Max.

"GODDAMN! WOULD YOU BE CAREFUL? THAT HURTS!"

"Hold still, then!" Marbles remarked. "These are stuck in pretty far."

"Yeah, well, you're obviously not cut out to be a surgeon. You're _digging_ with that leather-men. Just grab it and pull it out!"

"It's not that simple! I don't have much to grab on to! There's like barely half an inch here!" Marbles said.

"Matthias. Why don't you let me try?" Said a very calm, very civil, _very_ familiar voice.

"Yeah. You'd probably be better off trying it, Eathon. Your Seeker skills are more apt at getting them out than my engineering skills." Marbles said, in resignation.

The crowd arrived just in time to see what all the fuss was about. Max was laying flat on her belly on the kitchen table; her arms crossed beneath her head and her face was a mask of anger and pain. The shoulder straps of the white tank top she was wearing were pulled down exposing four, round holes in her shoulders. The man with the white-blond hair had one hand pressing on Max's back and, with the other, was pushing the pliers of a leather-men into a hole in an effort to pull something out.

"THAT'S NOT ANY BETTER!" Max yelled.

"You're father is right, Max. They are stuck in there, pretty deeply." Eathon said.

"How hard is it to pull out a spike?" Max demanded. She was getting more and more aggressive with her candor. The Cybersquad were taken aback by how vicious she seemed to be getting.

Digit squeezed Inez and Jackie's hands. "She's only like this when she's in pain or very hungry. Otherwise, she's pretty harmless."

"_Pretty harmless_, Didge? Not this time!" Max snapped. "I swear, once he pulls the last one out, I'm going to punch his lights out! King or not, I am going to hit you and I will enjoy it!"

"Threatening me will not make me work any faster." Eathon said, keeping his tone even.

"JUST GET THE STUPID SPIKES OUT, ALREADY!" Max yelled.

"Okay. Here comes the first one."

Eathon managed to latch onto the first object. With a twist and pull, a three-and-a-half inch, black spike slid out of her metal flesh. Max screamed bloody murder, hands forming into paws and digging into the tabletop for support.

"Boy. That one's a beaut." Eathon said, teasingly, as he laid the spike on the table by Max's foot. "Okay, here's number two."

Another scream. This one, louder than the first because this spike was longer than the last one.

"Okay, forget punching your lights out. I'm going to maul you." Max growled.

"It would help if you would stop changing." Eathon said. By then, white scales had made their way up her arms and a barbed tail was beginning to form from the seat of her shorts.

"I would stop changing if you would stop digging." Max spat.

"Oh, don't be a crybaby. You've only got two more spikes left." Eathon said, pushing harder on her back.

"I'm beginning to think you enjoy making me scream." Max snarled.

"Hardly." Eathon said with a grin.

The third spike was easier to pull out than the first two because it hadn't gone in as far. Max only hissed in pain that time, but she was still glaring daggers in Eathon's general direction. The fourth was much deeper and, in fact, was much harder to grab onto. As Eathon jabbed the pliers into the hole, Max pushed herself off the table – tail fully formed and flashing around. Eathon jumped onto her back and forced her down.

"All . . . most . . . got . . . it!" He strained. "All . . . most . . . there! Got it!" With a yank, the spike cleared the hole and was placed on the table.

Max relaxed and took in several breaths; the transformation reversing on itself. Eathon slowly slid of Max's back and folded the leather-men back into its compact position.

"Well. Glad that's done." He said.

"Yeah. Me _too!_" Max snapped. With a loud crack, her fist collided with Eathon's cheek; sending him reeling against the wall. She opened and closed her hand, working out a cramp before flopping into a chair and letting her head tilt back. "That feels better."

"Max, was that really necessary to punch him out like that?" Ada asked.

Max lifted her head and stared at Lady Lovelace. "Look Mom. I'm hot, I'm tired, I'm hungry, and I feel like crap. My fan has been disconnected from my circuit board and my cooling rod is missing. I was trapped on Cybersite Nowhere and buzzed in the neck by nano-droids that kept me asleep for three days. On top of that, I had four – count them, _four_ – spikes in because I was trying to escape whatever horrible plan my captors had for me. My ROM was invaded by a program that made me relive the worst moments of my life, my system was flooded with Hydrofluoric acid, and my arms were amputated. Not to mention, I appeared in front of the gates and was taken to the other side. If that doesn't make even the most mild-mannered borg even the smallest bit irritated, I don't know what will."

"Omigod! Will somebody please feed her!" Said Lok from the other side of the room.

"I will." Digit said, going to work to fix lunch. "I think all of us could use a meal after all this."

Inez turned to Ada. "Did she just call you mom?"

Ada smiled and nodded. "Yes. Before Max was even born, she was just an idea in Matthias' head waiting to manifest. I was there just to get it going. I also helped with the planning process, so I am Max's mother for all intents and purposes."

Eathon rose off the ground and rubbed his cheek where Max had hit him. "Well, you certainly are a warrior." He commented, placing a hand on the back of Max's neck. "Everheal."

Immediately, the holes sealed themselves up and Max slumped back against the chair. "That feels better." She said.

"By the way, you punch really hard." Eathon said.

"I did warn you."

"Yes, but you also said you were going to maul me. Now when's the mauling going to come into this picture?"

"That was a bluff."

"And the punching my lights out wasn't?"

"I decided punching you would be better and safer than the mauling. I'm too hot to do anything other than hit somebody."

Dr. Marbles hefted a toolbox into his hand and approached. "Then let's see if we can't get you to cool down a little more."

He twisted a knob on the back of the rolling office chair she was sitting in and the back eased into a reclining position. Ada went to a nearby sink and soaked a washcloth with cold water. Then, she draped it across Max's forehead.

"That feels soooo good. You have no freaking idea." Max said.

"I'm sure it does." Ada said with a smile.

"Max." Pi said. "I know now may not be the best time but could you tell us everything that's happened to you since you left Control Central three days ago? More specifically, where these spikes came from?"

"Wait! You mean to tell me only three days passed since I left?" Echo interjected.

"Three and a half." Marbles said. "Actually, closer to four."

Max took a breath and while Marbles lifted her shirt and started checking her internal circuits, she related everything that happened to her: how the coop crashed on Cybersite Nowhere and the appearance of a strange young boy. She told them about her fight with the boy and how he was able to use Seeker magic to apprehend her – Alphius interrupted her here to explain that both Seekers and Alchemists used the same kind of magic but Alchemists worked on an entirely different level than Seekers.

"I was getting to that, Professor Stumblesnore. If you had waited you would've known that." Max said, softly.

"Sorry." Alphius muttered.

Max continued her story. While she told her story, her tone was even and emotionless. But when she got to the part about the machine and the crucifix, there was no mistaking the tone of fear coming into being. Eventually, Max was alternating between quiet sobs and talking.

"When I woke up three days later, I suddenly wished I hadn't. There were five of them. Buzz, Delete, Wicked, and someone named Baskerville, were all working on a structure. Then, the same boy who attacked me on Nowhere appeared. He had the strangest, pale-blue eyes I have ever seen. They were flat and, even though they were pale, there was no warmth in them."

Echo moved around to Max's right side. She looked worried. "Max, his name didn't happen to be Ledge now, was it?"

"Yes. In fact it was." Max said, looking at her. "Why? Is there a Ledge in your world?"

Echo nodded. "He wasn't nice in my world, either."

Max's eyes softened. "Was he the one that abused you?"

"Him and a few others." Echo said. "Among other things."

Max wanted to know what the other things were but by the flat response Echo used, she assumed Echo didn't want to talk about it and, therefore, changed her mind about asking.

Meanwhile, Marbles located the fan cable with a penlight and reached inside for it. After pulling the cable out so he could see the end, he blew dust from the prongs and popped it in place. Max paused in her storytelling to let out a sigh of relief. But there was still more to be done. Marbles reached into his toolbox and pulled out a rod full of a cool, blue liquid. The liquid itself was known for freezing whatever it touched if it wasn't contained and it was incredibly useful for cooling entire systems.

"I'm putting in the cooling rod." Marbles said.

"Ooh yes! Yesyesyesyesyes! Put it in put it in! Put. It. Iiiiin!" Max said.

"I will once you calm down a little." Marbles said, smiling. Max relaxed against the back of the chair and Marbles popped the rod into place. "There. That should keep you at the right temperature for now."

Max breathed a sigh of relief. But Marbles wasn't done. As she went to sit up in her chair, she noticed he was holding an object in his hand. A four-compartment cylinder, each filled with a black, oblong object. A yellow-rimmed hole for a jack was located at the top of the object. Max knew what it was and she kicked her chair back away from him.

"Oh no. You are _not_ replacing my battery pack." She said, glaring at him.

"It needs to be done." Marbles said. "You've been running on that same battery pack for a long time, now."

"It refreshes itself."

"Yes, but after so many years it will stop functioning properly."

"True, but do you have to replace it _now_ after all the shit that's happened?"

"I'll make it quick. You'll barely even notice."

"What do you mean I'll barely even notice? Of course I'll notice! There'll be a lag in my system once you disconnect it!"

"Again. I'll be quick."

The glare deepened. Marbles stood up, sighed, and put his hands to his hips. "You have a choice, Max. Either I replace it now while you're still active or I can flip your power switch, replace the battery, and turn you back on."

Her eyes narrowed to mere slits. Marbles knew she was being difficult primarily because she was hungry. But after all the things he had to go through just to fix her – not to mention, almost completely losing her – he was tired of her attitude.

"Don't think I won't flip your switch. I do know where it is, after all."

Max let out a sigh of disgust. "Fine." She said.

She walked the chair back to her father using only her toes. Then, reclined in the chair while Marbles put his hand back in her gut. She felt him fumble around for the battery pack. When he found it, he pulled it out of its slot and held both packs in one hand.

"Okay." He said, holding the jack. "Power transfer in three . . . two . . . one."

In less than two seconds, he unplugged the first pack and switched it for the second one. Max's eyelids fluttered once as her system slowed down, then started up again with a surge of new power.

"I'm done." Marbles said, reaching into his toolbox and pulling out a small square of metal the exact color of Max's skin. "Here's your new access panel. Don't lose it."

"I wasn't intending to lose the first one. It was stolen from me." Max said.

Her attention was suddenly diverted from the repair to find a plate containing two, soft taco supreme, a small cup of nacho cheese, and yellow corn chips. A large glass of Mountain Dew Baha Blast sat on the table. No ice – Max hated ice. Digit had outdone himself. He knew Mexican food was the best way to get Max in a better mood. In the center of the table, Digit had more Mexican food and waved his wings at them in an indication that anyone who was hungry could help themselves.

Max picked up the first soft shell taco and took a very large bite.

"This is a really good taco, Didge. Thanks." She said.

Digit nodded.

"So, what's it like to die?" Eathon asked as a conversation starter.

"It's a little scary, but at the same time, peaceful, your majesty. Like floating on your back in a warm river. There's no pain, no worries -"

"Hakuna Matata.1" Matt said with a smile.

Everyone chuckled, including Echo, and Max cracked a smile before continuing.

"Nothing. It's like, everything I'm even worrying about no longer matters."

"And, what's it like to take a life?" Jackie asked.

Max fixed her with a look. "It's never easy to take a life. Even if that life is what saves a number of others."2

"Excuse me, why do you keep calling him 'your majesty'? He isn't a king is he?" Matt said, pointing at Eathon.

Max smiled. "Actually, he is."

Eathon leaned back in his seat. "I'm surprised you recognized me, Max. I took a lot of care to keep this part of me a secret."

"Oh come on, dude!" Max said. "I've lived on Radopolis for four years and you didn't think I wouldn't recognize you? You may have dropped the lingo and changed your attire, but I still know you."

"Who is he?" Inez asked.

Eathon sighed. "Maybe this will help."

From the inside pocket of the heavy-duty jacket he wore, Eathon pulled out a pair of dark sunglasses which he balanced on his nose. With a few flicks of his fingertips, he ruffled his combed, white-blond hair, then slouched in the chair with his arms crossed over his chest and one foot balancing over his knee.

"Ding Kudicus? I mean – King Dudicus?" The Cybersquad said.

"Yeah. It's me." Eathon said. "I'm the mysterious ex-Seeker father of Lok's. Now, before anybody starts plaguing me with questions, let me explain. I am the next to last descendent of Atreyu, the first Seeker. I am directly descended from him through his fourth son, Rohan – also a Seeker. The Seekers of that family had always had control of Cybersite Radopolis as a means of both protecting the world while still being able to stay out of the public eye as something entirely different and unexpected. When my father handed me the crown of Radopolis, I tried to be both king and Seeker but I found myself a wee bit stretched. I already had a son who I expected to take over for me. Once he was old enough, I took all of my amulets and put them in a box for him. On my times off, I taught him how to be a Seeker and while he learned the Seeker way, I continued being a king and the line of Rohan continued."

Silence. Eathon had explained himself enough. Meanwhile, everyone else had started eating too. Everyone except for Master Pi who was starting to lose patience with Max's avoidance of the spikes. Pi made his way around the table, picked up the longest spike, and impaled it in the table in front of Max. Then, still gripping the spike, he leaned in close to Max's face.

"Max. Var'tor ye pa' aifa." He said. _Tell me about these._

Max swallowed. "Reh'coR, Trensu." _Sorry, Master._

She put the taco down. "The kid that kidnapped me happened to be fairly proficient in Alchemy, at least what I saw. He didn't use much Alchemy – just Ropetrick and Simplemind. However, I suspect he doesn't have the core necessary for Alchemy because he was collecting energy from an amulet on his right wrist."

"Tell me about the amulet." Pi said, firmly. He remembered nobody else understood Shangrinese.

"I can't tell you about the exact shape because it blended in with the bracelet he wore. However, I can tell you about the Titan that came from the amulet."

"A Titan?" Ginny asked.

Max nodded. "It was a very ugly thing. Ledge called him . . . Dominator."

"I thought so." Pi said, pulling the spike out of the table. "That's the only Titan a spike this size could possibly come from."

"So, you mean, these have been in your back for about an entire day?" Matt said. He picked up one of the shorter spikes when Max grabbed his wrist and pinned it to the table.

"You might not want to handle that." She said. "Particularly since you're made of organic material."

"Why?" Jackie said.

"Because, when I tried to run away, I was in gargoyle form. It was the best and fastest way I knew how to get away from a situation. But Wicked used Bramblebind to tie me up and Ledge called Dominator. While I was struggling to get away, Dominator hit me in the back and these spikes broke off. I couldn't breathe. I felt like I was on fire. My entire respiratory system was aflame. I did the only thing I could not to suffocate and turned back into a borg, and when I did, Ledge kicked me and I spat up a silvery liquid. Ledge called it mercury."

Matt immediately relinquished his hold on the spike. "Okay."

Max let him go.

While they ate, there was nothing further said about the spikes. The Alchemists were coming up with their own thoughts on the fact that a boy had the Dominator Titan. The fact Ledge had the Titan wasn't quite as upsetting as wondering how he got it. Nobody should've known about Dominator, especially not a young borg like Ledge.

"Max, why did this Ledge target you?" Lok asked, the only thing he had said since demanding someone feed his teacher.

Max swallowed another mouthful and started on the next taco. "He claimed it was revenge." She said.

"Revenge?" Echo said. She had been fairly quiet throughout all this; digesting everything that was said and thinking about her trip past the gates.

Max nodded. "He called himself Hieronymus' son."

"Hacker had a son?" Marbles said, looking up.

"I didn't know he had a son!" Ada added.

"I didn't either." Max said. She looked at the large LCD screen mounted on the wall. Motherboard's face was there, listening in on everything that was said. "Did you know Hieronymus had a son?"

"No." Motherboard said. "I suppose it's not surprising really. His dreams of taking over Cyberspace virtually corrupted him. In order to insure he remained in control, he would want to make an heir – one that he can groom to his own specifications. Someone he could trust. Someone who would look up to and idolize him."

"Well, this kid idolized him too much. He was completely bent on executing me like a criminal." Max said.

Marbles' jaw tightened with the thought.

Ada, seeing this, jumped in. "Max, you're not a criminal. Motherboard pardoned you for doing what you did. Don't consider for a minute that you're meant to be executed like one."

"I'm still guilty of doing it though, Mom." Max said, softly. She looked Ada in the eye, surprised by how vivid her eyes were. "I took someone's life and I did it so brutally, I should've been euthanized as a gargoyle for even doing it. I broke him. I broke every bone in the left side of his body as payback for taking those parts from me. I toyed with him and then I killed him. Dozens of people watched me do it and yet not one of them even spoke up about the consequences.

"I may have been pardoned, Mom, but the guilt is still there. Every night, I see his face. I feel his pain. I hear his voice. I can hardly sleep because of it because I know he'll be there waiting for me. That's exactly what I relived while under the influence of the ROM-IP. I saw all of it. Including what happened before, during, and after being turned into a gargoyle. I even saw you guys putting me back together after the dematerializing agent was done with me."

Echo and Lok looked up – the only two who didn't know all the details pertaining to Max's life while being a gargoyle.

"Dematerilize?" Echo asked.

"It's the process of turning an object from something solid and tangible and turning it into it's various components. In this case, binary code." Marbles explained "In Max's case, the dematerializing process came in the form of a sap-like gunk that spread over her left arm and leg – turning those body parts into ones and zeros."

Echo shuddered. Somehow, that sounded painful to her but she wasn't sure why.

"It hurt." Max said, as though she could read Echo's mind. "Actually, it more than hurt. This is the kind of pain you're better off not trying to describe."

"That's fine." Echo said. Her tone made it sound like she didn't want Max to describe it.

"So wait, the maimed gargoyle with the prosthetic limbs was you?" Lok asked.

"Yeah." Max said.

Marbles leaned back in his chair, relieved Max was actually even talking about the incident with Hieronymus. It was about time.

"What does ROM-IP stand for?" Jackie asked.

"Read-Only Memory Invasion Program." Ada said. "It's a program only given to criminals whose crimes were less violent. However, it can't work if the borg's thought processes are still working."

"Which is why he used Simplemind on me. Simplemind dulls the senses." Max said. "Thus makes my mind inactive and allows the program to start working on scenarios in my ROM. Scenarios like the ones I've already lived. And the nightmares I've already seen."

Marbles looked up. He hadn't even known about the nightmares. Max had been very quiet about the incident with Hieronymus. He had only assumed she was being quiet about the fight and he didn't think he even needed to worry about her having nightmares.

Max kept her eyes down; her face immobilized in a mask that gave nothing away. But her hunched shoulders and the way she picked a corn chip apart with her fingers, letting the pieces fall to the plate, suggested other wise.

"Max. Kic'blu k' ye." _Come with me._ Pi said, hand on her shoulder.

Max obediently rose and followed Pi out to the hallway. She didn't say a word as she knew Pi would soon reveal his intentions once they were well away. And as soon as they were well away from the kitchen, Pi turned to face his loyal Shield-maiden.

"I'm going to do something for you that can only be done to those who suffer severe nightmares. I am going to give you peace of mind." He said.

"Can you really do that, Master?" Max asked, her dark-brown eyes locking in on his.

"Of course I can. I am an Alchemist." Pi said.

"Right. Of course you can." Max said with a teasing smile.

Pi didn't smile back. Instead, he placed his scepter into the folds of his robe. Then, he pressed the thumb of his right hand into her forehead and squeezed her right shoulder with his left.

Max suddenly backed away. "What are you doing?"

"Don't you trust me?" Pi asked.

Max was startled. "Of – of course I trust you. But the last person to do that to me wanted to kill me."

"I don't want to kill you, Max." Pi said.

"No. I don't suppose you do." She stepped back into his grasp.

"This will be a little uncomfortable." Pi warned her. "Simplemind. Thoughtspecter."

Max's eyes closed and Pi delved deep into her consciousness. Then, adjusting his hand so that all five fingers were now on Max's forehead, he seized all the terrors plaguing her and pulled them out. A stream of silvery liquid peeled out of her brain and formed a ball stretching between his five fingers.

"Augerfrost." He said.

The terrors froze and Pi put it on the ground. After relinquishing his grip on her shoulder, he released her from the two spells and handed her his scepter. "Smash it. It won't bother you again."

Max took the scepter and, with a powerful downward swing, she broke the globe and handed the medium back to its owner. She leaned against the wall, puzzlement replacing the fear that had originally be there.

"Master, I can still remember everything that's happened to me. Why is that?"

"You will still remember everything. However, you will no longer be plagued with the horrors of what has happened to you during those times. They will be nothing more than a distant memory." Pi answered, gently. "I think you will find you will no longer be waking before it is time."

Max nodded. "Thank you, Master." She said. Then, a thought occurred to her. "Could you do that for Echo, too? She has problems sleeping at night as well. In fact, it's gotten so bad, she has insomnia."

"I could do that for Echo, but I will only do it if she is willing to allow me in. Alchemy is not an art meant to be forced on people. It was an art built to help people. That has always been what we Alchemists were meant to do. Nothing more and nothing less." Pi said. He patted Max on the head, secretly relieved his only Shield-maiden was now still alive and he knew he should find a way to repay Echo for her help in bringing Max back. Perhaps he would drain her of all the things that terrorized her. But only with her permission.

Meanwhile, there was still the fact that Dominator had now been recovered and was in the possession of a potentially dangerous boy. He knew they had to come up with some sort of plan to remove Dominator from his owner and soon before Dominator was used for something other

than to recapture an escaping gargoyle.

But what could this boy have planned? And how could Dominator be separated from him?

* * *

1 Hakuna Matata – No worries, The Lion King

2 "It's never easy to take a life. Even if that life is what saves a number of others." ~ Jules, Flashpoint


	14. An Unexpected Visitor

_Chapter fourteen. This chapter is full of plenty of action and talking. also, someone makes an appearance. someone who should've made an appearance a while back but i either couldn't work him in _or_ I completely forgot him. Sorry, dude._

_anyway, i have some fresh ideas for a new chapter. just like with 9-11, i don't like them. however, unlike 9-12, it hasn't completely taken over my creative processes yet (now i'm even starting to sound like a borg, that's just wierd). i guarantee, you will hate me for this. or, you will be incredibly shocked. my partner was shocked when she found out what i was planning to do.  
_

_also, a valuable lesson to learn here._ _don't_ ever _get under Max's skin. max is pretty much me in many ways. so, i suppose the same holds true to me. annoy either of us and it isn't pretty. but, as you'll probably see in chapter sixteen (that's where the next unwanted chapter is going to be) you'll also notice it's not good to piss either of us off either. _

_one more thing (now i'm starting to sound like uncle on jackie chan adventures), the line "I don't like it. It's tacky. Tacky tacky. And don't look at me that way." is from "The Pirate Song" by Ray Stevens. it's a wierd song but really funny. I suugest finding it on youtube. you won't regret it, i promise. on with the show._

_I don't own Cyberchase_._ Max is mine. Echo belongs exclusively to Kawaii Stella and her story Picking up the Broken Glass. I should probably also mention that Lok is not mine and belongs to Huntik: Secrets and Seekers.  
_

* * *

Chapter Fourteen  
An Unlikely Visitor

Ledge had been concentrating on phase two of his plan when the news report suddenly came on. The duncebuckets with Baskerville had inadvertently switched the TV on out of pure boredom and the TV was already on the local news station.

"Hey Boss. Look at this. Max is dead." Buzz said, pointing at the TV with the remote.

Ledge sighed and went to check it out. Sure enough, there was an image in the corner of the screen by Sam van der Rom's head depicting a smiling Max with the headlines Passing of the Defender of Cyberspace.

"_Well, it's a sad, sad day. Today marks the passing of the young borg known as 'The Defender of Cyberspace'. Seventeen-year-old Maxanne Marbles, the only daughter of the brilliant Dr. Marbles, has died only shortly after returning home. Citizens of Cyberspace are now wailing for the life everyone had known. Very sad, right Sam?"_ Said Erica Ram, the usually perky news lady. She turned toward her associate, Sam van der Rom who was more appropriately adept at finishing the story than she.

"_Very sad indeed, Erica."_ Sam said, nodding his squarish head, mournfully. _"As many of you remember, Max had defeated Cyberspace's long-time enemy, Hieronymus Hacker, only eleven months ago, and Cyberspace was able to breathe a collective sigh of relief. Over these last few months, though, Max has been staying out of the public eye and little was seen and heard from her again."_

Erica took over from there. _"We managed to get an exclusive interview from Max's former teacher, Master Erasmus Pi, who was responsible for teaching her how to be a Shield-maiden during her childhood."_

The image of the two borgs changed to a one-on-one interview with Master Pi with his resident Sword-Thane, Red. Red remained silent and still alongside his leader who recited a memorized speech.

"_Shangri-La is very saddened by the passing of this young and very talented borg. We had known Max since she was very young and we feel very responsible for her death. We do ask that the family not be bothered in this time of grieving, especially her father, Dr. Matthias Marbles, who is currently taking her passing very hard. We are currently investigating into her death as we are now classifying it as a murder. We do not have any suspects at this time and we ask that anyone with information on this case please call. Your name will not be released and any information you can provide will greatly help with our investigation."_

The interview ended there, replaced by Erica and Sam. Sam took a sip of hot coffee before continuing.

"_Once again, Max's death is being looked into by both the Shangrinese warriors as well as the CSCP – Cyberspace Crime Patrol – and being classified as a murder. Max's last moments of life were described as being horrible, so if you have any young children now will be the best time to send them out of the room. Erica."_

"_Only four days ago, Max was last sighted on Cybersite Nowhere. Witnesses say there was a scuffle between herself and an unknown male borg. Only seven hours ago, Max's body had been recovered in a warehouse in the Northern Frontier and was described as having been dismantled piece by piece – her internal system melted by Hydrofluoric acid. Max died slowly while in the care of her friends and family at Control Central and there is now nothing left to repair. Cyberspace will sorely miss this sweet, young borg."_ Erica said.

Ledge watched and listened to the report with vague interest, pleased that they had long-since vacated the Northern Frontier after the Cybersquad had come and taken Max's maimed body away. Unlike Hacker who would've stayed in one place, Ledge was smart and knew it would be dangerous staying there. There was too much left for him to do and getting arrested and charged with kidnapping and murder would only get in his way.

"Well, that's the end of that, my liege." Said Baskerville.

Ledge nodded but said nothing. Something didn't seem right. The way Master Pi calmly told reporters that Max was dead and even how Shangri-La was mourning her death. He didn't look like he was mourning. Nor did the silent, stunted warrior at his side. The only reason why those two would be so calm through this is if . . . if Max actually _survived_.

Ledge frowned. He had no idea how Max could've possibly survived the dismantling procedure. The acid, alone, should've made short work of her processing system; making it next to impossible to make the necessary repairs. Unless . . .

. . . unless Alchemy was involved.

Yes. Alchemy. That was the most logical answer. The most annoyingly logical answer. Ledge knew that Pi was an Alchemist and he was sure Alphius – head of Frogsnorts – was one as well. Ledge was also certain there were more out there but there were only a few that could even be considered close to Max. Close enough to be willing to risk everything to bring her back from the gate's threshold.

"Hey Boss, you don't think they think it was us who did Max in, do you?" Delete asked, breaking into Ledge's revelry.

The dumb robot looked scared and for good reason. Delete had never helped murder someone before. Chances were, if he was caught, Delete would be switched off and scrapped. Buzz and Baskerville would be too. Hell, if Ledge was found guilty, he could be switched off and thrown into the trash compactor. However, he had covered his tracks fairly well and was well prepared to cover them some more if needed. Even if that meant getting rid of these three minions who could turn into more of a liability than an asset.

Ledge smiled, warmly, at the inquisitive robot and shook his head. "No. I don't think they knew it was us, Delete. We left no evidence of ever having been there, remember. There's nothing to even point out that we had done it."

Delete looked relieved and Buzz smiled. "Yeah. Those idiots could never trace it back to us, could they?"

"No. They couldn't." Ledge said in agreement.

He pushed away from the door and instructed them to leave him alone. There were more things he needed to do and he couldn't do it with them bugging him.

0

Half-way across Cyberspace, one other person heard the news report. A borg known simply as "The Traveler". True to his name, the Traveler paused in the middle of his trip across Castleblanca to hear the broadcast; his coolant freezing when he realized he knew the young woman whose life had been so brutally taken.

The Traveler shrugged his pack higher on his shoulders, yanked his deep hood over the short, silver-white hair, and ducking his head, he made his way outside the city limits to the junky old cybercoop that had faithfully served as his mode of transportation for the last eight years. He threw his pack onto the passenger seat, cranked the engine over, and made his way to Control Central. He hadn't heard the broadcast long enough to know the family didn't want to be bothered. It wouldn't have mattered anyway. He knew this kid and he knew the kid's father. The Traveler knew he had to be there.

1

"I don't like it!" Max snapped when she saw the news report Motherboard had taken the time to show them all. "It's tacky. Tacky tacky. And don't look at me that way."1 She added shooting a look in her father's direction – Marbles had given her a why-not? look.

"Explain to me why you don't like it." Ada asked.

Max stubbornly folded her arms over her chest and slouched in the seat. "We're lying for one thing. I'm not dead."

"Of course you're not." Motherboard said. "But it's better if Ledge and the others think you are. This will, hopefully draw him out."

"You better hope he doesn't come out of hiding." Max said, standing up to face her beloved leader. "That kid is dangerous."

"We gathered that, already." Marbles said.

"No, I meant he is really dangerous. Even more dangerous than Hieronymus had ever been." Max said.

"How?" Matt asked.

Max regarded him. "Consider this, we always knew what Hieronymus was up to because he was predictable. He had a tendency to brag about his triumphs which ultimately led to his failure. Plus, Hieronymus had a pattern. He always went for that one object on every single Cybersite that could help him cause the most chaos. Sometimes, he even targeted the same thing more than once. We didn't have to worry about something bad happening because he never thought things through, or he let his inflated ego get in the way."

"Yeah." Jackie said. "So, what makes this kid . . . Ledge more dangerous than Hacker? I mean, Hacker tried to kill you how many times now?"

"Four times."

"I've only counted three." Digit said. He started ticking them off on his pinions. "Twice with electricity and once with the Dematerializer."

"You're forgetting the time on the battle field. He was out to kill me then. Only, he made one major mistake. He had taken on the gargoyle body but he had no idea how to use it. I had been a gargoyle for nine years. I was comfortable in my skin. I was completely aware of how my new body moved and I knew how to direct my movements as needed. He didn't. Just because you have the beast's body doesn't necessarily mean you get the instincts that go with it." Max said.

"That's true." Inez said. "But that still doesn't answer the question of how Ledge is more dangerous than Hacker."

"Then try this on for size." Max said. She put her elbows on the table and leaned forward. "This kid have every intention of killing me, for whatever reason. He claims it was for vengeance but I think it was because Wicked wanted me dead. Ledge actually had this entire thing figured out in his head. Every moment of every hour I was supposed to be under his thumb was carefully planned out. He didn't figure on me actually escaping nor did he figure on me turning into a gargoyle – the fact I was now a shape-shifter had not been released to the general public. However, when I did turn into a gargoyle and did try to escape, he handled it. He had Wicked use Bamblebind to capture me and Dominator to incapacitate me.

"Everything he had done so far – learning Alchemy, sending Echo back to her plane, capturing and torturing me, obtaining Dominator – this had all been planned out ahead of time and he knew what he was doing. When I was on the crucifix, he told me flat out 'We're going to kill you, Max'. He looked me right in the eye when he said that. He didn't flinch, there was no change in his gaze at all. And the way he said it was almost like he was comfortable saying it, too. The number of times Hieronymus admitted he was going to kill me did not measure up to this one."

"That's scary, Max." Digit said, hopping into her lap and leaning into her.

"Yeah it was scary. Would you believe it if I told you I actually cried?" Max said.

Everyone was dumbstruck. Max didn't cry much, if at all. It took a lot to get her even on the verge of tears and, even then, she refused to let her emotions show. It also took a lot to get under her skin, something she picked up in her gargoyle years.

Digit wrapped his wings around her and squeezed tightly. Max returned the squeeze, prolonging it as much as she could. She hadn't realized just how much she had missed him being nearby for the last four days until he was so close to her now.

"So, what do we do about him?" Inez asked.

Max shrugged. "No clue."

"What do you mean 'no clue'?" Matt exploded.

"Exactly that. No clue. This is not a very smart dumb person we're dealing with. This is a pathological killer with intellectual genius that goes far beyond the brain powers of mine, my father's, and my brother's. He knows what he's doing and he know how to get whatever-the-hell he wants and he'll do anything to get it." Max said.

She looked back at the Television and frowned. "I'm pretty sure he knows I'm not really dead. He's spent a lot of time studying people I've associated with, whether directly or indirectly. By now, he probably suspects Alchemy has been used to bring me back from the dead. Which is why I don't like this whole 'Max Marbles is dead' routine."

"It won't last for long." Ada said.

"Long enough." Max grumbled.

"Anyway!" Echo said, breaking into the inevitable argument. "I have some photos I want to show you guys. Why don't we go somewhere more comfortable for this?"

"Good idea." Marbles said, agreeing to anything that would bring everyone's attention away from the news report. "The den would be the best place. Let's go there."

"I'll be back." Max said. "I just want to freshen up a little."

Max left the kitchen to wash up a little bit before returning. Echo said she wanted to show her something; not just Max, alone, but also Marbles, the Cybersquad, Motherboard, Digit, and Lok. Max moved a little sluggishly, her shoulders still hurt and there was a little bit of pain originating from her abdomen. Not really surprising since everything that happened to her seemed to revolve around some form of damage around those areas.

Once Max washed her face of any signs of tears. No sooner had the washcloth left her face than she was stunned by the change she saw. Her hard features had softened some since finally telling them everything that's happened and that had been bothering her – it was a load off her mind and she wasn't sure why she hadn't discussed it sooner with them. Even her eyes were softer now. The truth she no longer needed to hold it all in had sobered her.

Max turned away from the mirror and peeled the strap of her tank top away. She sucked in air when she saw where the spikes had been. Thin, puckering scars formed a sort of rhombus-type pattern across her back. And, when she lifted the shirt, she saw that similar scars had formed on her sides where the tubes had been. Apparently magic did little to heal a borg without scars.

She let the shirt drop. It didn't matter now, anyway. She would still remember everything she had consciously experienced while at Ledge and Wicked's hands. The scars were just a visual reminder, now.

"Hey Max. You coming?" Digit asked, knocking at the door.

"Yeah." Max said, flipping the washcloth over the rail beneath the high window. She opened the door and pushed Digit onto her shoulder. "What does Echo have to show us?" She asked as she headed down the hall to the den.

"Pictures from her plane."

"Pictures of what?"

"No clue. I came to get you when they started."

"A lot of help you are."

"Well, if you hurry up you could see them for yourself. I'm missing out on the show too, you know."

Without further prompting, Max jogged to the den and found everyone clustered around Echo, who was sitting on the floor with an album in her lap. Max flung herself onto the floor, shifting into a complete gargoyle form as she did so, and wrapped herself around Echo; forcing everyone to lean over her warm back and Echo to lean against her warm belly while Max could look.

At first she was confused. Flowers, dresses, tuxedos, pews full of people dominated many of the photos Max could see. She could only guess it was a wedding scene, however since weddings weren't exactly commonplace in Cyberspace she couldn't be sure. In Cyberspace if you wanted a family you made a family, but this really only worked if you actually had the means, tools, and know-how in order to do it. While Max couldn't be sure if this was a wedding scene or not, she was fascinated by why she was seeing.

In one, a man and a woman walking down the carpeted aisle, the man looked proud – but a little irritated – and the woman was beaming. The woman was beautiful and vaguely familiar. Now that Max thought about it, so was the barrel-chested man escorting her. The woman was wearing a white, form-fitting dress with lacy sleeves, train, and hem. The dress was low on her shoulders with a delicate white veil lined with tiny crystals. In fact, the train and the veil were almost identical except that the train didn't have crystals. In her hands was a bouquet of red roses and Queen Anne's lace, the stems were wrapped in royal-blue silk.

In another, a dark-haired man stood at the front of the room, beaming as well and a man wearing a white robe and colored sash draped across both shoulders, holding a bible, waited for the woman to approach. The dark-haired man was wearing a white dress shirt with gold aigrettes over a royal-blue sash, several medals of honor lined his left shoulder, and he wore black shoes and pants. On one side of the platform was a dark-haired woman holding a small bouquet of flowers. On the other was one man in a uniform that was less noticeable than the one that the groom was wearing. There were several close-ups of the four individuals standing there.

Three photos showed the barrel-chested man and the woman-in-white facing each other; the man folding back the gauzy veil from over her face. Then, a few more of the man kissing the woman on the forehead.

Several more photos had been taken of the man and woman with their backs turned toward the camera. After a while, the two faced each other. A couple of close-up photos depicted the dark-haired man sliding an object on the woman's finger followed by a few close-ups of the woman doing the same. Then, the two kissed.

Several photos after that showed the couples' mad dash across the aisle toward the double doors while people threw rice at them. (Digit muttered on and on about how wasteful that event was with good white rice).

"Who are all these people?" Max asked, using a claw to gently touch the photos.

Echo pointed each one out in turn. "The groom is Prince Marbles Sherman Shovat, my adopted father. The bride is Lady Ada Lovelace and the man escorting her down the aisle is Lord Byron." She smiled at Matthias. "In my plane, Lord Byron doesn't think very highly of you."

Max giggled. "You're a prince in another universe, Dad."

"Well, that's good to know." Marbles said, ruffling Max's shaggy mane. "I'm also marrying the woman of my life in that universe as well."

Ada leaned into him and kissed him full on the lips. Max growled. "Come on! Not in front of me!"

"Shut it." Marbles warned, playfully.

Echo cleared her throat before pointing out the others. "The bride's maid is Lilith Shovat, Marbles' sister, and the best man is Abel Nightroad Shovat, Marbles' older brother."

"Sounds like I come from a large family in another universe, too." Matthias said.

"That's not even the half of it." Echo said.

She flipped a few plastic-covered pages over and showed them the full color drawings in the back. Drawings made by Echo, herself, during the wedding. One drawing, in particular, featured Marbles Shovat and his very large family: brothers, sisters, mother, father, aunts, uncles, cousins. Even Ada and Byron had a place in the group. Echo had even superimposed herself right between Ada and Marbles who were beaming and both had a hand on her.

"Wow." Matthias said. "That's a lot of family."

"Yeah, it is." Max said, nodding in agreement.

"How many family members do you have, Dr. Marbles?" Inez asked.

Marbles suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Well . . . I do have a brother. . . . Somewhere."

"Really?" Matt asked. "Where is he?"

"Emphasis on somewhere." Max said. "We haven't heard from him in almost nine years."

"Okay then. _Who_ is he?" Matt put in.

"Is anyone home?"

A voice echoed down the empty hallways. Marbles looked up, golden eyes locked on the LED TV mounted on the wall where Motherboard had just appeared. "Who's here?"

"Speak of the devil and the devil will come." Motherboard said.

"I'll take care of this." Marbles said, pushing himself off Max's back. He disappeared out the door, pausing only to point a finger at Max. "Stay."

"Scout's honor." Max said, saluting with a paw. Marbles smiled and vanished. Max snorted. "Like I'm a scout."

0

"Cooper! What the hell are you doing here?" Marbles said when he saw his estranged brother's rugged face.

"I came because I thought you could use a shoulder to cry on." Cooper said, throwing back his hood, exposing an artificially aged face. He regarded his older brother through thick, square, wire-rimmed glasses. "I see you're not grieving.

"Coop, you can't be here right now." Marbles said.

"Why the hell not?" Coop asked. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"Kind of." Marbles admitted.

"What? Max's funeral? I thought you could use my help, she was your kid after all."

"Look, you really can't be here. You should be back on Radopolis checking on your son. Or have you forgotten all about Slider?"

"Of course I haven't forgotten about Slider! He's all I've been thinking about since Hacker forced me into hiding."

Marbles stopped in mid argument to consider what was being said. Cooper was considerably much younger than himself by only four years. Net had originally built Marbles first, then decided to split the chore of taking care of Motherboard between two borgs. So, four years later, Cooper was built and initiated. Unfortunately, while Marbles had inherited most of Net's intellect, Cooper had inherited most of Net's personality. Including much of Net's neglectful personality.

Now that Marbles had seen Cooper in person for the first time in nearly nine years, the semblance was startling. Cooper looked like he had aged forty years. His hair was steel-gray streaked through with white and silver. His brown eyes were lighter and glazed over with pale gray. Glasses were balanced on Coop's narrow nose and the younger borg was stooped as if gravity was pulling him down in more places than just his feet.

"What happened to you?" Marbles asked.

"Magnetite." Cooper said, simply. "My harddrive crashed and I was sent into a severe aging process. It just stopped here."

"I see." Marbles said.

"Well, aside from all of that, shouldn't you at least be happy to see me? Aside from Max, Slider and I are the only family you've got left."

"Coop, I really think you should go home and talk with Slider. Hacker's dead now, it's safe to go home."

"I am home. And I intend to stay . . . at least until you find your feet."

"Home to your son. Slider has been looking for you for nine years. The only reason why he's remained sane is because Max and I have been looking out for him. He also had his business to run – a business _you_ started twenty-two years ago. He really cares about you, Cooper, and it'll be good of you if you'd go back to him and talk to him."

"I intend to go back to Radopolis. I just figured you'd need me first. I am your brother, after all, and losing a kid is hard on everybody."

"Don't worry about it, Coop."

"DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT!" Cooper thundered. "Matthias, you just lost your daughter! Your pride and joy! She was everything to you and now you're acting like you don't care if she's dead or not!"

"I do care, Cooper, but that's not the point. The point is your son needs you now more than I do."

"Why do I get the feeling you want to get rid of me?"

"That's because I do want to get rid of you."

"Now that's just rude."

"No, what's rude is leaving your son – your only kid – behind to take care of things while you did whatever it is you were doing without ever saying where you were going and what you were doing. You've never sent any word to Slider as to your whereabouts and he's been spending these last eight-and-three-quarter years wondering whether or not you're still alive. That's what's rude. Can you blame me for not wanting you back in my life just yet? If you can abandon your son, who you claim to care more about than anything in the world, you most certainly cannot be in my life right now."

"I still don't understand. Why don't you want me around right now? Are you hiding something?"

"Not now, Cooper. I really – I really can't deal with this right now, okay. Just – just go. Okay. Just go."

Coop planted himself firmly in the middle of the room. "No. Not until you tell me what's going on." He dropped his pack on the floor like he owned the place and crossed his arms over his chest. "I've come half-way across Cyberspace just to be a person of comfort to you and you don't even want me here. I was even going to go back to Radopolis and bring Slider with me so we could comfort you together. Now, I want answers. What the hell is going on here that you don't even want me here?"

"YOU!"

1

"Max, your father told you to stay." Ada said as Max started to get up again.

"Yeah, like I really follow every order he's ever given me." Max said, shifting into borg form.

"I am never going to get used to that." Lok said from his spot on the sofa where he had been looking out at Cyberspace like a man in a trance. "It is so creepy how you can morph from one form to another."

"Blame Master Pi for that." Max said as she headed for the door.

"Max, get back here." Ada said.

"I just want to see what's going on." Max reasoned.

"Yeah right." Digit muttered.

Max ignored him. She made her way down the hall, poked her head out the door, and saw a strange-looking borg standing in the control room across from Marbles. Actually, the more Max looked at him, the more she realized he wasn't so strange after all. He was a _much_ older version than Slider and it took Max a minute to realize she actually know who this borg was.

"YOU!"

Coop half-turned to see who had yelled at him only to have Max slam into him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and allowed her weight to carry her forward into an off-the-ground somersault. Cooper was yanked off his feet and slammed onto the floor with Max landing squarely on top of him. Before he had time to react, Max's fist plowed into his jaw and his head snapped off to the side before jerking back into place.

"YOU ARE AN ASSHOLE FOR WHAT YOU DID TO SLIDER! HOW DARE YOU COME BACK HERE WITHOUT GOING TO SEE HIM FIRST!"

"Max, I told you to stay." Marbles said. He wasn't sure whether to drag Max off Cooper yet or not. She seemed to be getting rather volatile as the day went on.

"Yeah, not going to happen." Max said, twisting her fingers into Cooper's jacket.

"Well, this is surprise. You're actually alive?" Cooper said.

"Yeah. No thanks to you and your lazy ass!" Max snapped.

"I didn't even know you were in trouble."

"Just goes to show just how out of touch you are with this side of the family." Marbles said.

"So, how are you even alive anyway?" Coop said, ignoring his brother's statement.

"I'm a survivor." Max said.

"Apparently." Coop said. There was silence for a moment. Then, "Do you mind getting off me?"

"I might."

"Let me rephrase that. _Get off!_"

Max rolled off Coop and stood up. Marbles wrapped an arm across her shoulder and leaned into her. "You really need to start controlling your anger. This is the second time you've punched somebody out in one day."

"The first time was for me. I don't like pain. This time was for Slider. I don't like other peoples' pain either."

"Wait. She punched somebody else out besides me, today?" Coop asked.

"Yes. King Dudicus, if you'd believe it." Marbles said, with a smile.

"It was fantastic." Max added, proudly.

"Why did you – you know what, forget it. I don't even want to know."

"Good. Because I don't feel like telling you."

Coop got up and crossed his arms over his chest. "You really aren't going to let it go, are you?"

"Disappearing without so much as a by your leave to Slider? No, I'm not." Max said. "I oughta deck you again just for leaving him like that."

Marbles put a restraining hand on Max's shoulder. "No more decking. You've punched enough people today." He told her, firmly. Then, to his estranged brother, Marbles said, "Now as for you, Max is right. You've always neglected your duties since your start-up so it shouldn't surprise me that you've neglected your own son. While I appreciate the kind gesture to try to support me through what promised to be an emotionally difficult time, as you can see, the gesture is unnecessary. Your presence is needed elsewhere. Now, go back to Radopolis and talk to Slider."

Coop brushed back his gray hair. "I'd love to see my son again."

"So, what's the problem?" Marbles asked.

"I don't know if he'd even take me back. I've been gone for so long, I wouldn't blame him if he hated me. I probably wouldn't even know him if I saw him." Coop said.

"You'll know him." Max said. "And he doesn't hate you. If you were to ask me, though -"

"He wasn't asking you." Marbles told her, giving her shoulder a firm squeeze. He returned his gaze to Coop. "Slider still loves you. The only thing he's wanted for the last eight-and-three-quarter years was for you to come back to him."

"I couldn't. Not while Hacker was running around causing chaos and havoc." Coop said.

"Matthias. Is everything alright?" Ada asked from the doorway.

"Everything's fine." Marbles said, moving away to look at his long-time girlfriend. "We just got a visit from an unlikely individual."

Ada saw Coop and gasped. "Cooper! What are you doing here?"

"I came to help Matthias through this difficult time." Coop said, looking first at Ada then back at Max. "Seems my presence is no longer necessary here."

"Yes." Ada said. "We've had a very close call this morning."

"Care to explain to me what that news report was all about?" Coop asked.

Max sent an "I told you so" glance in Marbles direction before glaring at Cooper. "I'll explain the news report if you go to Slider and bring him here."

"Deal." Coop said.

0

"_You should strongly consider maybe looking for a stronger core. Just in case that amulet is parted from you."_

Ledge shook the thought from his head. Wicked had given him the warning only weeks ago. Until recently, Ledge had just put off her warning because he knew she was afraid of the Titan the amulet contained. But now that he was certain Max was still alive, Ledge knew he was now messing with forces far beyond his own capabilities. While Dominator was an excellent source of energy to power his Alchemy, Ledge was reluctant to delve too deeply into the limitless resource the Titan provided.

Which was why he was going to an expert.

Shax was known as a scavenger and a salvage dealer. He was also a slimy businessman, not prone to asking too many questions. Precisely the kind of person Ledge wanted to deal with.

Shax owned a small portion of Cybersite Trashiona, home of the Trashinator. In fact, as luck would have it, Trashinator was one of Shax's own hired hands as the robust, little robot could get into places the bulky borg could not. And his trashcan like body gave him the ability to conceal things while the two of them traveled from place to place. Not once did the CSCP even consider taking a look inside Trashinator's body for contraband.

To say Shax was surprised when Ledge asked to meet him on Trashiona was a complete understatement. Normally, Shax went wherever he was supposed to go, even if it was a site that completely disapproved of his presence because they knew the kind of business he provided. But Ledge explained he needed something from Trashiona and could not wait to get it. Shax reluctantly agreed to let Ledge come to his site.

No sooner had Ledge appeared on Trashiona, leaving his three remaining henchmen behind on their new site, than Shax went straight to business.

"Well, young Ledge, what can I do you for?" Shax said in his creepy little voice.

Ledge took a moment to stare at Shax. In retrospect, he almost looked like Baskerville and could very well be his cousin if it wasn't for the reptilian head, green scales, thick claws, and heavy tail. Despite his startling appearance, Shax was very knowledgeable in all things scrap. Including things he should know nothing about.

"I need a core." Ledge finally said. "A good, strong core."

"Very well, sir. I'm sure we can help you with that." Shax said. He pulled down a pad of paper and started writing instructions on it. "What kind of core are we talking about? A core for a Cybercoop?" He asked that last question with a quick, hasty glance at the rusty Cybercoop Ledge had just arrived in.

"No. I need a core for a cyborg's body. One that is strong enough to counteract the effects of equivalent exchange." Ledge said.

"A borg core." Shax said. He stopped writing, deep in thought now. Then, he stared long and hard at Ledge. "Those are very hard to come by. Even Solitarium has long-since stopped scrapping their inmates."

"I didn't ask if they were hard to come by. I just said I needed one. Now, do you have one or not?" Ledge snapped, stepping dangerously close to Shax.

Shax backed up. "We have one, alright." Shax said. "It's the only one I've managed to come by. It's not very strong and is considerably much older than you're probably looking for – cores loose their power with age. Since it is the only one I have, however, it will be very costly. Very costly indeed."

Ledge reached into the baggy pocket of his cargo shorts and pulled out a silver credit card. "Name your price."

Shax's large, lamp-like eyes bugged out at the sight of it. "Well, I suppose I could be willing to part with it in exchange for two-thousand snalfus."

"Done. But I'm not paying until I see it." Ledge said.

"Of course." Shax said. "I wouldn't expect any less from you. TRASHINATOR!"

The squeaking of a wheel told Ledge and Shax that Trashinator was coming. The robot paused in the doorway and looked at his boss. Shax wrote a final line of instructions on his pad of paper then handed it to Trashinator.

"Bring this to me." Shax ordered, coldly.

Trashinator looked the paper over, belched, then moved off to find the box. Meanwhile, Shax turned back to his customer.

"What do you intend to do with this core?" Shax asked.

"Do with it? I intend to use it, of course." Ledge said with a snort. "What else would I do with a core?"

"You do not intend to transplant it, do you?" Shax said, raising one eyelid – he possessed no brows and, thus, raised an eyelid to indicate surprise.

"That's exactly what I intend to do with it." Ledge said. "That's the best way to use it, right?"

Shax nodded. "True."

Just then, Trashinator returned carrying a small, wooden box under his arm. He placed it on the bench just like he had been instructed numerous times and back away. Shax waved him away and Trashinator left the room, belching loudly as he went.

"Feast your eyes on this." Shax said, opening the box so Ledge could see.

The core was, indeed, small. But as Ledge looked closely at it, he realized it put off a lot of energy. Energy necessary for Alchemic properties to take place.

"I think our business is done here." Ledge said, sliding the card across the counter to Shax.

Shax grabbed the card, slid it through the card reader, waited for approval, then slipped the card back to Ledge along with the core.

"Anything else?" Shax asked.

"No. I've got all I need." Ledge said.

From the other pocket on his cargo shorts, he pulled out two sheets of paper. One he laid on the counter with the core on top of it, and the other was plastered over his stomach. After clapping his hands together and placing one on the core and the other on his belly, he let energy from Dominator flow through him. Using Alchemy to transplant the core was no easy and painless task. Ledge allowed himself one gasp of pain, his eyes closing as the new core replaced his battery pack. Then, with the new core in place, Ledge left Shax to his business.

* * *

1 "I don't like it! It's tacky. Tacky tacky. And don't look at me that way." - Pirate Song, Ray Stevens


	15. Finding Those Who Don't Want to be Found

_Chapter fifteen. This chapter is full of plenty of action and talking. it turned out a little longer than i expected and i was going to put coop's explanation in this one too. but it was already longer than i liked so you'll have to wait until next chapter. interesting twist toward the end of this chapter though. you'll have to forgive me for the darkness, i've started reading catching fire and i was also watching trinity blood (already got passed the destruction of Barcelona bit) when i wrote the end of this chapter. okay, so enjoy.__  
_

_I don't own Cyberchase_._ Max is mine. Echo belongs exclusively to Kawaii Stella and her story Picking up the Broken Glass. I should probably also mention that Lok is not mine and belongs to Huntik: Secrets and Seekers.  
_

* * *

Chapter Fifteen  
Finding Those Who Don't Want to be Found

Slider was busy, as usual. With the Totally Rad Cybercoop Race coming to town, all mechanics businesses were open from early morning to late evening; changing cryoxide and tires, and tuning engines. Slider was even one of the few who inspected prospective cybercoops for the races. Those he didn't approve had to be rescheduled for pimping for next year. Sad but true.

It was during one of these inspections that Cooper found Slider. The coop in question was a sleek, two-seater machine. However, outside appearance often covered up problems on the inside and Slider went to work inspecting the coop from hood to trunk. So far, he found nothing wrong, even with the engine compartment as well as with the coop's computer. After that, Slider switched on the lift and got the coop up the required distance to check the undercarriage. That was when he heard footsteps.

"There's a thirty-five minute wait between customers, sir." Slider said, looking past his own feet at the large boots peeping in at him from beyond the crawler.

"I'm not a customer." The boots' owner said.

Slider's cooling unit froze. He knew that voice! But . . . it couldn't be!

He slowly eased the crawler out from beneath the coop and looked up into the aged face of the borg standing above him.

"Sly." The borg said.

Slider didn't say a word. Instead, he sprang up and threw a punch; catching the older borg square in the jaw.

"YOU ARE AN ASSHOLE! HOW DARE YOU UP AND LEAVE ME LIKE THAT WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING!" Slider screamed while he watched Cooper fall over, rubbing his jaw.

"You must have been spending too much time with Max. She said and did the same thing to me already." Cooper calmly said.

Slider stopped fuming. He wasn't sure what to say. How could Coop have seen Max? She was dead, wasn't she?"

Coop must have read Slider's thoughts. "No, she's not dead." He said.

Slider leaned against the coop. "You mean . . . she survived? How? I heard her internal circuits were melted by an acid. How could she have survived that?"

Coop shrugged. "I don't know. She has promised an explanation but I had to come talk to you."

Slider turned away. "There's nothing to talk about." He said. He pushed the up button on the lift, raising the coop to a more manageable level.

"Actually son, there is." Coop said. "I have to talk to you about that day. I want you to understand that leaving you was not at the top of my list. I had to, but it was only to protect you."

"Protect me, from what?" Slider demanded. He slid a bucket underneath the cryoxide chamber and waited for the freezing liquid to drain out.

"Son, I got involved in something very bad. I originally thought what I was doing would be for the good of Cyberspace. But I was wrong. While my invention could be used for good, it could also be used for evil."

"Evil?"

"Yes."

Coop suddenly had Slider's interest. "Explain."

Coop sighed. "Well, it goes like this . . ."

1

While Coop went to Radopolis to get Slider, Max decided she had had enough of Lok's sudden withdrawals from everyone else. In the four months that she had known him, she knew that Lok was not one to close himself off the the rest of the world and he seemed to be getting worse as the day progressed. But there was also one other reason why she wanted to spend some quality time with Lok.

Just before Master Pi left Control Central – and with Eathon's permission – Max was given further instructions to give Lok one more test. He wanted Lok to be able to track someone without the use of his Titans. This was also supposed to make him less reliant on the magnificent creatures, as Seekers were known for becoming. And while Max thought about it, she knew she had the perfect test.

Only a few days before her ordeal with Ledge and Wicked, Max had come across a television broadcast that caused her to laugh until her ribs hurt. It involved two grown men in a ball pit – one trying to catch the other. No sooner had Pi told her to give Lok a Titan-less tracking test than Max allowed herself an evil smile. Pi gave her a long, curious look, then shook his head before drifting toward the swirling, pink portal Motherboard had opened to return him to Shangri-La. Before returning to his site, Pi turned back and looked at Max.

"Tell him that if he passes this test, he will be rewarded the Sword-Thane's colors."

"Already?" Max asked, astonished.

She knew it wouldn't take long to become an elite warrior after receiving the red belt, but Max thought this was too soon. She wasn't entirely sure if Lok was even ready yet. There was a lot left for him to learn before she would be willing to sign off on his black belt and sash – both the trainer and the master had to approve the advancement before anything else could be done.

Pi folded his hands in his wide sleeves. "He would've been a Sword-Thane long before now, Max. And he has proven himself to be quite able to handle himself in any given situation, just by rescuing you. One more test, then we will discuss advancing him."

"Master, I do not think it is wise to advance him so soon. He still has a lot to learn, yet. Perhaps, if we waited a few more weeks, or maybe even a few more months, he will learn everything I have yet to teach him." Max said.

"Think of it this way. He may need that long in order to track you without his Titans in that test." Pi added.

Max opened her mouth to protest, then shut it again when she realized the wisdom in his words. With what she had planned, it _could_ take him longer. She just had to enforce the fact he wasn't allowed to use any one of his scout-type Titans by simply refusing to continue the test until the Titan had been revoked.

"Very well, Master. I will do as you say." Max finally said.

Pi nodded his approval and left.

Max had been meaning to start testing Lok right away but was distracted by the news report – which had been discussed with her before hand – and by the appearance of her estranged uncle. Now that Coop was gone, Max was suddenly reminded the last assignment she had been given. She took a breath, poked her head into the den, and spotted Lok sitting on the couch by the window; still staring out into Cyberspace as though that was more interesting than what Echo was currently working on.

"Dad, active security overview." Max told Marbles. "I need to have this final test recorded and supervised from a secure zone. Master Pi will want to see it and I think you guys might find it amusing."

Marbles nodded, but he didn't know what could be so amusing about a Holo-dome training exercise. He had seen some of her training exercises before and while they were fascinating to watch, they were still plenty scary.

Max turned to Lok. "You . . . come with me." She said, crooking a finger.

"I'd rather not." Lok said, flatly.

Max glared.

"Fine." Lok said, exasperated. He left the couch and went to her.

"Before we go anywhere, please remove the Gremlow Titan amulet from your pocket." Max told him. "You won't need him. Actually, you won't need any Titans for this exercise."

"How did you -" Lok began.

"I saw you invoke and revoke Gremlow. I can also see the amulet in your pocket." Max added.

Lok let out a noise of disgust and put the amulet on the table. "Don't touch it." He told everyone.

"They won't touch it. But if you want to, Cherit can stand guard. You won't need him in their either." Max said.

Cherit clambered down Lok's arm and sat on the table with the amulet under his paw. Then, after nodding that he was okay with being separated with Lok for a while, the two left.

As they walked down the hall, Max started in on her interrogation.

"You took a life, didn't you?" She asked.

Lok looked at her in surprise. "How could you tell?"

"Because you're not acting like yourself right now, that's why." Max answered. "You're acting like I did when I killed Hieronymus."

"That's not what I heard." Lok said. "I heard you didn't grieve at all."

"In public, I didn't."

"Oh."

"In private was a different story. I let everyone think I was okay when, in all actuality, I wasn't."

"Oh."

Silence.

"So, who did you kill?"

"The Wicked Witch."

"Good riddance."

"MAX!" Lok said in surprise.

"Lok, she was in prison for several counts of disturbing the peace. When she was released from prison, she would've done far worse than that. In fact, she did do something worse than that. She tried to kill me." Max pointed out.

"I guess I don't feel so bad about it now." Lok said.

More silence.

"Did you use Magic?"

"Sort of."

"Did you use a Titan?"

"Yes."

"Which one?"

Lok hesitated. "King Basilisk." He finally said.

"I see. So, you essentially petrified her."

"Essentially."

"She probably didn't know enough to avoid his gaze."

"I guess she didn't know the meaning behind the name 'Basilisk', huh?"

"Probably not."

Max had walked a few paces before realizing her apprentice had paused. She stopped and looked back at him. "Something wrong?"

"How do they do it?"

"How do who do what?"

"Them. The criminals. I guess, people in general. How do they do it?"

"Do what?"

"Kill. And, not just kill, but kill over and over again. How do they do it?"

Max paused as she thought of an answer.

"What goes on in a criminal's mind isn't for us to speculate. While we do have the technology to see into someone's mind, there are few brave enough to do it. My theory is this: those that can kill without mercy are incapable of feeling sadness or guilt. They feel nothing for the lives they've taken, so taking life feels natural to them."

"That doesn't sound so bad."

"Does it?"

Lok nodded.

"Then think about this. What if you can't feel anything? Absolutely nothing at all. No pain, no emotion, nothing. What then? How does that sound?"

"Sounds like heaven."

"Sounds like heaven to you now. But wait until you get over it."

"Will I get over it?"

"Eventually."

"Are you over what you've done?"

"Almost. But I had a little help."

"From whom?"

"Master Pi."

"What did you do?"

"You can ask him when you see him later."

"That's not an answer."

"Sure it is. Just not the answer you were looking for."

Lok crossed his arms over his chest. "Touche." Then, he realized something. "What did you mean I'll see him later?"

"That's why we're going to the Holo-dome. There's one more exercise he wants you to learn before the ceremony."

"You mean . . . I'll – I'll get my colors?"

"That's the plan."

"But . . . will that mean I'll have to kill again?"

"You'll do whatever you're called to do."

"In that case, I don't really want to do this. I don't think I want to be a part of that world anymore, Max. If it hurts this much to take a life, how much of a wreck do you think I'll be in if I take another? And another?"

"That's not what I meant, Lok."

"What did you mean, then?"

"That solution will very seldom be used in missions."

"That response does nothing to change my mind."

Max remained silent, waiting for him to say more. But when Lok refused to say anything else, Max sighed.

"Lok, take this into consideration, and I mean really consider it. You are an apprentice. At this stage of your training, you really do have the option to quit and leave the faction. The choice to leave becomes obsolete once you become a full warrior. After that, any attempts to leave could result in exile."

"That's not so bad."

"You don't think so now, but consider this, too. Once you are exiled, you cannot talk to anyone in the faction nor can you visit Shangri-La. Do you actually want that?"

Lok thought about it and he realized that despite all the silly rules and the religiously followed daily retinue, he really didn't hate Shangri-La so much. Master Pi had done a lot for him considering he was nothing like them. And the other apprentices . . . well, despite the fact they had picked on him when he first started, they were really pretty good guys to be around.

"No. I don't really want that." He said. "But I don't really want to devote my life to being a Sword-thane either. Max, I don't really want to do this! At first, I was fine with it even though my father dropped me off on Shangri-La just to protect me, but now . . . now I'm not so sure. I didn't realize I would have to take a life just to save a few."

"It happens."

"Like when you had to kill Hacker?"

Max paused. "Yeah." She tipped her head back. "I'm sure you've heard all about the history I have with Hacker, haven't you?"

"You mean like he was your brother who suddenly went evil? Yeah, I heard about it."

"Correction. He wasn't my brother. We were both built by the same borg but for completely different purposes."

"I heard about that, too."

"Yeah, so don't refer to him as my brother."

"Sorry." Lok ran his fingers through his spiky, white-blond hair. "Is that why you were asked to destroy him?"

"Part of it. The other part was because, aside from Motherboard, I am the one who suffered most at his hands. The abuse and near-killings was enough to make Master Pi decide it should be up to me to bring down the evil one."

"Did you want to kill him?"

"Yes and no."

"Why?"

"Because by killing him Cyberspace would be free from his tyranny. But, by killing him, I will have committed a crime punishable by death. Motherboard promised to pardon me but even that wasn't enough to convince me it was a good idea."

"Is that why you didn't kill him sooner?"

"Yes. Up until that day, he had only toed the line between chaos and destruction. Plus, the Squad was helping to hold him back from completing his objectives. So, until that day, there was no reason for me to step in and do the deed yet. But the day I decided it was time, he had gone too far. He reprogrammed Digit, captured my father and the Squad, and used Wicked to place the Spell of the Mean Green on Motherboard and the Cyber-heads. Once he did that, the only thing he had to do was sit back and wait for someone to bring me to him. Once I was in his hands, he would likely execute me, then he was going to dispose of my father and the Cybersquad before deleting Motherboard."

"So, you called him out?"

"Yeah. I called him out. It was time for me to do that. Actually, it was overdue."

"Did you enjoy killing him?"

"No."

"But – but, he hurt you! He almost killed you!" Lok protested in disbelief.

"Yeah. And he almost killed my father and the Squad a few times. He made my uncle disappear, he infected Motherboard with a horrible virus, and he nearly destroyed a few Cybersites."

"I see what you mean. But, why didn't you enjoy it?"

"Because, unlike the criminals that can kill without feeling or thought, I still feel things. I hate that I did it and I especially hate myself for doing it, too. I can't enjoy taking a life because life is precious. Even tainted with evil, it is precious.

"You're going to need to make decisions just like that, Lok. The decision to take a life in order to preserve others, or to spare that life knowing that they may or may not return to the public and start what they were doing before being incarcerated. As a Sword-thane, the choice is really up to you. And, in a hostage situation or any extreme moment like that, there is only a second to make a decision. In that moment, you can only hope it is the right one."

She touched him on the shoulder, squeezing the appendage gently. "Now, you can take this test and stand at the ceremony soon and tell Master Pi whether or not you want to take the colors. It's really up to you at this point."

"I'm beginning to wonder if you made the right decision choosing me as your apprentice." Lok said.

Max smiled. "I think I did." She touched his other shoulder and squeezed both gently. "Try to prove me wrong. I dare you."

"You're going to regret that."

"Maybe. Then again, maybe not."

They stared at each other. Blue eyes on dark-brown ones. Then, Lok sighed. "Let's get this test over with."

"Okay." Max said, dropping her hands.

They entered the Holo-dome and Max started the program.

"Computer, create a box that is nineteen-point-five feet long, five-point-fifty feet wide, and four-feet deep. Create a close-knit mesh around the outside."

"_Holo-dome creation instructions confirmed. Box creation complete. Awaiting further instructions."_

A box appeared in the middle of the dome. Nine poles ringed the outside of the box and a black, mesh net hung off the poles. A raised ledge was the only thing they had to step over to get into what could only be described as a pool. Suddenly, Lok didn't like where this was going.

"Max, what are you doing?" He asked.

Max smiled and winked at him. "Just watch."

She turned back to the computer. "Computer, fill the box from bottom to top with colored balls. The balls must be eight inches in diameter. Colors must be red, yellow, blue, and green. Balls must also be solid colors."

"_Holo-dome creation instructions confirmed. Ball creation complete. Awaiting further instructions."_

Max and Lok watched as the pool was filled with colored balls exactly as she had instructed. But Max wasn't quite satisfied. She went to the box and pulled out a ball; testing the density and materials with her fingers.

"Computer, decrease ball density."

"_Holo-dome density change instructions confirmed. Ball density change complete. Awaiting further instructions."_

The ball's density decreased to that of a whiffleball, without the holes. Satisfied, Max dropped the ball back into the pit, then turned back to Lok.

"Now, you don't have any Titans on you, do you?"

"No. I just had Gremlow and you took him away from me."

"Good. Because using Titans now would be cheating."

"You know, Max, I'm really kinda tired."

"Really? I'm not."

"That's no fair! You died! You got the sleep of eternity!" Lok pointed out.

"So?"

"So, you were also asleep for a few hours!"

"That wasn't sleeping. My brain was put on stand-by while acid worked away at my system."

"Still sounds like sleeping to me."

"It's not."

"Can't we do this another time?"

"No. We're doing this now."

"Can't you save it?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because this promises to be very entertaining."

"Is that all?"

"No, Master Pi told me to give you this last test."

"I'm sure he didn't mean now."

"Actually, I'm sure he did."

"Whatever." Lok said. "I'm going to bed."

"I can't do this without you."

"Well then you're going to have to come with me."

"Nope."

"Let me rephrase that. Either come with me or I'm going to drag you out."

"You can try. But you'll have to find me first. But, you'll never catch me."

Lok realized he had just trapped himself.

Max had been facing him when she leaped into a graceful, backward arch, and landed inside the ball pit; ducking into the pile of balls.

"Oh for God's sakes!" Lok said, knowing that the only choice he had now was to go in and get her.

He walked into the pit exactly in the spot Max had vanished. He shoved balls aside and reached deep into the pit.

"Bazinga!" Max said, popping up four feet behind Lok.

Lok turned in the direction of her voice and she vanished. He waded toward her.

"Bazinga!" Max appeared two feet away from where she was before; vanishing just as quickly as she had appeared.

Lok waded toward Max's new position.

"Bazinga!" Her voice came two and a half feet from Lok's right shoulder. Just as Lok turned, she vanished again.

In his haste to get to her, Lok tripped over a few balls and collapsed in the pit. Max appeared to his right.

"Bazinga!"

She vanished, only to appear behind him.

"Bazinga!"

She vanished, only to appear to his left.

"Bazinga!"

She vanished and Lok struggled to rise. He moved toward the back of the pit where he knew Max had recently been.

"COME BACK HERE!" He screamed.

She appeared two feet to his right, so close if he had been prepared, he could have grabbed her.

"Bazinga!" Then, she was gone.

Lok was starting to get frustrated. He lunged at her last position and she appeared three feet from his right.

"Bazinga!"

She vanished. Lok's face turned beet-red with anger and he lunged again at her last location. Max appeared four feet behind him.

"BAZINGA!"

_This isn't working!_ Lok realized. _She's leading me on a wild-cybergoose chase! There has to be better way._

Lok paused. There was a better way. He smiled as he put his fists together and closed his eyes.

Finding Max's cord was easy. He had familiarized himself with it ever since Max had been taken captive. But Lok wanted to go further than just finding the link. He wanted to use it to track her.

Reaching out, he grabbed the cord and pulled it in. Immediately, he could see it all and he could see it in her eyes. He saw the mounds of colored balls that impeded her vision. Yet, somehow, Max knew right where he was and right where she needed to be. He saw her turn away and move toward the left side of the pit, close to Lok.

_There!_ Lok thought.

His hand snaked out just as Max popped up.

"Ba – hey!"

Lok hauled her close to him, a smile wide on his features. "Got'cha."

Max smiled back at him. "So you did." She said. "Congratulations. You passed. And it only took you ten minutes. Another ten and I was about to drag you down myself."

"Are we done?"

"We're done. I'm signing off on your sash later on after I send the video to Master Pi."

Lok's face reddened with embarrassment. "You – you mean you recorded this shit?"

"Yes. Yes I did." She thought about it. "How could you not have known that? I was telling Dad to monitor it before we even left."

"I guess I wasn't paying attention."

"Shame shame." Max said.

"Whatever." Lok said. He turned away and moved toward the door. "You coming?" He asked.

"Computer, end program." Max said.

The hologram disappeared and the two borgs left.

0

During Ledge's new training to harness the power of the core he had now obtained, he made a few interesting discoveries.

The first was that he could combine the energies obtained from more than one point. In his case, he could pull power from the circles, the Dominator amulet, and from the core at the same time. The second was that he could actually extract power from living things. That last one he found to be a great asset because he had great plans with the core.

Unfortunately, the core was small and very old. He didn't know how long Shax had this core, but it had obviously been in cold storage longer than it should have been. Apparently the need for Seeker/Alchemist cores wasn't as high. Ledge was just relieved Shax had one.

Among those great things Ledge wanted to do required a lot of energy and a lot of concentration. Ledge had plenty of concentration. He had obtained as much of that as he could while powering the transmutation circle on the floor of the battered old Cybercoop. But now that all that training was over, there was something he had to learn.

He came across it in one of his Alchemy books. The mention of a power no longer practiced by Alchemists. There were no instructions on how to go about using this ability in any of his books, but there was a mention of a journal written by Taarlok, third son of Atreyu.

Ledge knew the journal had to hold he answer. But he didn't want to have to make another visit to Trashiona. Instead, he had Shax come to him. As it turned out, Shax did have an old, leather-bound journal. The inside cover had the author's name written in faded black ink and the rest of the book was a mess of formulas and instructions Shax didn't understand. The slimy merchant had been making plans to toss it out but couldn't help but think it might be valuable. Now that Ledge wanted it, Shax's beliefs had just been confirmed. As usual, he priced the book at thrice normal novel value.

Ledge willingly coughed up the money. He didn't care anyway. He had the book. Now it was time to begin studying.

1

"That was awesome!" Matt said when Max and Lok came back to the den. He was still laughing and the girls (including Echo) couldn't help but smile. "Where'd you get the idea for that?"

"Oh, a little something called Big Bang Theory." Max said.

"You're a dork." Digit said. "You just saw that episode the night before you were kidnapped."

"Yeah, well, it worked didn't it?" Max said. She moved to the television and rewound the recording. After watching it for herself, she realized it was a near-perfect rendition of the show and couldn't help but laugh, too. Even her voice matched Sheldon Cooper's perfectly in terms of tone.

From beneath the LCD screen, Max extracted a keyboard and began punching in commands. Lok lingered over her shoulder.

"You're not sending that to Master Pi, are you?" He asked.

"Of course." Max said.

"I can't let you do that!" Lok said. "It's too embarrassing!"

He went to grab Max's arm and pull her away but suddenly found himself on the floor in an arm-bar; Max stretching her legs over his frame and arching her back until he shouted in pain. She released his arm and did a backward roll; landing perfectly on her feet.

"Want to try that again?" She asked.

"Wow, you're fast!" Matt said.

"Tell me about it." Digit said.

Max ignored them as did Lok. Instead, Lok began speaking in Vul'kahR and Max was forced to respond.

"Why would you send it? Don't you realize I will be the laughing stock of the warriors? I will never hear the end of it! They'll remember me as the apprentice who could barely find his teacher in a ball pit!"

"Master Pi and Sword-thane Red will be the only ones who will bare witness to this particular training video. It is they who will decide if you truly pass into Thanehood or not. You have passed by my standards, but maybe not by theirs."

"Is that why you said, **'congratulations, you pass'**?"

"Of course. Your mission was to successfully track me without the use of your Titans and you have done so. I can only assume you used magic, otherwise you would have had no idea where I was going to pop up next."

"Why not?"

"Because I was not following any particular pattern, only the pattern recently viewed on the show which, of course, worked out in my favor since you had not seen that episode before hand."

"You're mean." Lok said in English.

Max immediately switched to the universal tongue as well, a smile still there. "Yeah well, it's my job to be mean. I'm your master. I'm supposed to push you to do your best and you have."

Lok stood up, popping his shoulder joint back into place. "I want a real test! One of real skill!"

"Tracking _is_ a skill, Lok." Max said, indifferently. "You've already done it when you set out to find me, and I thank you for that. Now, you've already done it without your Titans. Seekers have been known to become too dependent upon their Titans which was the whole reason behind this particular exercise. But if you want to test me in speed and skill – whether you with your Titans and with me in gargoyle form, or just one on one, borg versus borg – so be it. But this test, the one you have just completed in the Holo-dome, will be the one to go out to Master Pi. Demanding a fight with me changes nothing."

Lok now knew it was best not to argue. He respected Max as she had been very kind to him even in his training sessions. She may have been abrupt and short with him on occasion but he had been impulsive and never thought things through very well before acting on impulses.

He squared his shoulders. "Very well. I'm sorry, Master, for my behavior." He said in Vul'kahR.

"You are forgiven, Lok." Max responded equally in Vul'kahR.

She went back to the LCD screen, set up the cyber-mail message, attached the video, and sent it to Master Pi. Then, she turned back to Lok.

"Do you still want to challenge me in the Holo-dome?"

"No, Master." Lok said. He did not look her in the eye though he was sure she had only asked him by way of invitation.

"Very well then." She yawned and stretched. "I think it's about time we all went to bed. Inez, Jackie, if you would like you're welcome to share a room with myself and Echo. Matt, you and Digit can share a room with Lok."

"Good idea." Digit said. "We're all tired. Today has been a long and eventful day."

"Indeed it has. Good night everyone." Said Marbles as he put an arm around Ada's shoulders and ushered her to his room.

"You're not going to send us home?" Jackie asked.

"You've been here for a very long time." Motherboard said from the screen. "You all are tired and you've seen much already. If I were to send you home where it is merely mid-day, and you were to begin sleeping there, suspicions would arise from your parents and I'm certain you don't want to explain all that has happened here since your arrival."

"That's true." Inez said. "Good night."

"Good night." Motherboard said as she initiated sleep-mode.

Back in Max and Echo's room, Max supplied Inez and Jackie with some nightshirts. Echo had brought some of her own, not knowing how long she planned to visit her friend. Max turned and faced the wall while she shrugged out of her nightshirt. As she did so, Echo caught sight of the scars on her back and on her left side – the one facing her. A hand closed over the scars on her own chest; scars that were a reminder of her own encounters with death.

0

Taarlok's journal had been very helpful for Ledge. However, with the journal being so old, the ink had been faded and much of it was warn away. Ledge spent several hours with a scanner, trying to reconstruct Taarlok's research.

The entirety of the journal talked about a power known as Lifebending, the ability to control life simply with a thought. The source of life was water for all living things, both organic and inorganic. But mastering this power didn't come without complications. Taarlok mentioned he started out small, moving a puddle of water with only his hands before moving to fingers. Then, he moved to larger objects: tanks full of water, oceans, streams, and seas. Of course, where Ledge had moved his hideout, there were no large bodies of water except for a pond where their drinking water came from and that had to be run through a filter before it could even be considered drinkable.

Lifebending was challenging, but Ledge loved a challenge. As it also turned out, Lifebending couldn't just be learned, there had to be a point of focus. Taarlok's journal included a transmutation circle through which power had to flow. Ledge didn't see the transmutation circle at first when he started reading, so when he attempted it using the three-step method, nothing happened.

He cleared his mind, he saw the magic, and he released. The cup of water remained still. Ledge frowned and his brow knit in frustration.

_There has to be something else!_ He thought, flipping through the recreated journal. That was when he found the transmutation circle. _So that's it? Taarlok studied Alchemy, too._

On two strips of sticky paper, Ledge drew in the circles exactly as shown in the journal – he knew it was dangerous drawing a circle that wasn't exactly right, either the circle wouldn't work or . . . the alternative was disastrous. Pasting the papers on his palms, Ledge tried again and was amazed when the water moved. It spun and spiraled and flicked and whirled exactly as he told it to.

Pouring a bucket of water, Ledge dashed it on the floor and focused his energy into making it move as well.

_Now, for the real test._

"Boss. We've been thinking, we don't want to do this anymore." Buzz said as he and Delete entered Ledge's office on board the Cybercoop.

"Yeah, we – we want out." Delete said. He looked scared, and for good reason. Both had seen what Ledge was capable of and both knew Ledge would kill them in an instant.

Ledge smiled reassuringly at them. "You want out? Why didn't you just say so? Of course you can leave." He said, raising his arms as though he was going to hug them.

"Really?" Delete asked, relief crossing his features.

"Absolutely." Ledge told him. Then, his face darkened. "When you're dead."

He brought his hands together and Delete went rigid. Ledge could feel the oil coursing through Delete's body and it was his to command. With a jerk of his left hand, Delete's head fell off its pivot point and crashed to the ground. Ledge let the useless body fall before pocketing his hands. He turned to the dumbstruck, smaller robot.

"You'll leave when I tell you to leave and I'll tell you to leave when I no longer have any use for you. I have one more task for you." Ledge said.

Buzz didn't know what to say. Delete – his best friend – was dead, now. Buzz was all alone – he wasn't even going to count Baskerville because the cyber-hound wasn't even his friend.

"W – what kind of test?" Buzz asked, swallowing hard.

Ledge pulled a rolled up sheet of paper from his pocket and handed it to the stupid bot. "Go to Shangri-La and paste this on the back of the Good Vibration."

"The Good Vibration, why?" Buzz asked.

"Don't ask questions!" Ledge snapped. "Just do what you're told and I may even consider sparing you!"

Buzz took the paper and, after glancing at Delete's beheaded form, left the room.

Ledge kicked at Delete before going back to work. The test was complete. While the journal mentioned it had taken Taarlok several years to perfect Lifebending, Ledge had completely mastered it in a matter of hours. Delete's body had proven to Ledge that he can already manipulate an entire being with only a thought.

Now, he wondered if it would work on a gargoyle. And maybe a certain bunch of humans.


	16. Cause for Celebration

_Chapter sixteen. I should've warned you sooner that there would be a total of five deaths in these next few chapters. Delete was death one. Two through four are in this one and i'm sure you can guess who number four is. Please don't hate me if you figure it out. I promise it turns out a lot better than you think.  
_

_Also, I would like to point out that a fellow cyberchase writer has started on her first fanfict. It's called Hidden by Daisyfan5534. go check it out.  
_

_**Page count check:** 210. this chapter was longer than i would've liked. but i just couldn't cut it off somewhere in the middle. there was too much to put in there for one thing.  
_

_I don't own Cyberchase_._ Max is mine. Echo belongs exclusively to Kawaii Stella and her story Picking up the Broken Glass. I should probably also mention that Lok is not mine. the transmutation circle and the laws of Equivalent Exchange, along with the gates belong to FullMetal Alchemist. The bullet toward the end of the chapter is taken from Trinity Blood and is based off the same bullet used on Ion, duke of Memphis, to excite the basilis bacteria in his vampire blood. you'll see what i mean. also, when echo finally decides to spill the beans to max, her lines are taken from the song Glass by Thompson2. If you haven't heard the song yet, go to youtube and take a listen. even if you don't like country music, it is well worth listening to.  
_

* * *

Chapter Sixteen  
Cause for Celebration

The next morning came far too early in everyone's opinion. The previous day's events left everyone exhausted. Everyone except for Max who had, in essence, been asleep for three days plus a few hours, of course.

Max was up at her usual hour and, while she wanted Echo to join in with her Tai Chi, decided not to bother the tired human teen who had done more than her share of helping with Max's restoration to life. Lok, on the other hand, came to Max's room and the two borgs silently wove through the eighteen forms. Max could have meditated but she had grown more accustomed to doing Tai Chi in the morning than meditation. Normally she resorted to Tai Chi because the nightmares bothered her. This time, the nightmares didn't come just as Pi had promised.

The two borgs left the room and headed to the kitchen where they found breakfast bars. They ate in silence before heading up to the Holo-dome. They were still waiting on Master Pi's response, but Max wanted to stay as close to their normal schedule as possible. Once again, they sparred against one another, Lok with his Titans and Max in gargoyle form. When that was finished, Lok tried hand-to-hand combat against Max and failed miserably. Max was quicker and far more experienced at weaponless combat than Lok and the younger borg realized that he had become more reliant on his Titans and magic than he should be. Now that he had a clearer head, he could understand the reason behind the test in the holographic ball pit.

By the time the two were done practicing, everyone else was up and eating breakfast.

"You two are up early." Marbles commented, good-naturedly. "Couldn't sleep?"

"Actually, I slept pretty well." Max said, plopping into a seat between her father and Digit.

Marbles' eyebrow crooked upward. "No nightmares?"

"Not anymore." Max answered. "You can thank Master Pi for that, by the way."

"I suppose I will." Marbles said, smiling with relief. He never knew about the nightmares – Max had been fairly silent about everything following Hacker's death – but he was now pleased they wouldn't be bothering her anymore.

"I took a nap when we came back." Lok said, pouring himself another glass of orange juice and downing the lot in one tug.

"Yes. I remember." Marbles said, smiling at Lok who he had started considering as his son since he came to stay with them during his training, though he knew he could never take Eathon's place as Lok's real father.

The rest of breakfast was fairly silent and uneventful. Max sat at the table with her Sqwackpad in her lap, waiting to hear from Master Pi on his decision. Normally he would just send her an e-mail, but as Max had activated remote desktop on her Sqwack, she didn't feel the need to sit in her room and wait for the message to come through. Finally, her Sqwack chirped.

"_Very good on the exercise, Max. A little unorthodox but effective. Nathan has also passed. The ceremony will take place tomorrow at midday. The Squad is welcome to come and bear witness, as is your parents and Echo. Remember to wear your regalia, and I will see you tomorrow." ~Pi._

Max smiled as she passed her Sqwack off to Lok. Lok's blue eyes widened.

"Are you serious?" He asked, staring at the e-mail. "Is this real?"

"It's real enough." Max said.

"What's real?" Matt asked.

"I'm going to become a Sword-thane tomorrow." Lok said, handing the Sqwack back to Max.

"CONGRATULATIONS!" Everyone shouted.

Lok blushed and turned to Max. "Got my Thanehood at a younger age than you got your Maiden's colors." He said, sticking out his tongue at her for good measure.

Max shook her head at him. "I would've got my colors sooner if I had just stuck with it. However, I did get it so . . . there!" She stuck her tongue out at him for good measure.

Marbles shook his head, muttering something about "children will be children" under his breath. Ada smirked and rubbed his arm.

"Anyway, you all are invited to bear witness to the event. Becoming a Maiden or Thane is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and only a few are chosen to receive this honor." Max said. She looked around the table. "Keep in mind, this ceremony will be conducted in the Vul'kahR dialect of Shangrinese. I will try my best to translate it for you in English but it's not guaranteed you'll get everything that's being said. As outsiders, you're not expected to know or learn our language. And, technically you shouldn't be allowed to see the ceremony. However, you are friends to the Shangrinese as well as to Lok, therefore an exception has been made."

"Well, that was nice of them." Matt remarked.

"Matt!" Inez warned.

"What?" Matt asked, looking at her.

"Actually, Inez, Matt is right. It was nice of them." Marbles said. "Had you not been given the key to the city, Master Pi could easily have decided against allowing you to attend. However, as he has granted you free passage to and from the Site, it only seems right."

"Well, I guess I can't go then." Echo said. "I don't have the key to the city."

"Maybe not, but you've been allowed to come and go a few times, haven't you?" Ada said.

Echo nodded.

"Then, you do have _a_ key to the city but not _the_ key to the city." Ada added.

"I think the only reason why Master Pi lets her come and go from the city is because she was with me when she first arrived." Max said. "Those three weren't so lucky." She pointed to the Squad.

"What do you mean?" Echo asked.

"We had to a play a game with dragons against Hacker." Jackie said. "Whoever won got to come and go as they wished. The loser had to remain there until they figured out the lessons of the game. We won."

"Doesn't surprise me Master Pi made you play the game." Max said.

"You knew about it?" Inez asked.

"Did I – of course I knew about it!" Max said. "I had to do it, too, when I was a Page!"

"Gee, we could have used your help." Matt said.

Max shook her head. "I would've been able to tell you anything except for the rules. I had sworn to Master Pi that I wouldn't reveal the secret formula to solving the puzzle."

"Dang. You warriors and your rules." Digit said.

Max reached over and ruffled his head-feathers through the cap he wore; smirking at him. "Our rules exist for a reason. While we are happy to share many aspects of our lives with outsiders, there are still the many things we like to keep to ourselves."

"Like what?" Echo asked.

"Like the secret to the puzzle, for one." Max said. "Our language is another and so is our lifestyle. There is more but I'm not even supposed to mention them." She leaned back with her eyes closed and smirked. "Anyway, you'll see more of our lifestyle tomorrow when Lok receives his belt and sash."

With nothing more for them to do, the kids were given the option to go back home. But, as they didn't often come to Cyberspace just to hang out, they quickly decided they wanted to stick around. Even Echo was given the option to return to her plane but she refused. Her reasons being that she wanted to talk to Max about something. Something she knew Max would be able to relate to. Or, at least she hoped Max could relate to them.

"Anybody home?"

A thick, highland accented voice echoed across the mostly empty halls. The children (including Max and Lok) were sitting on the floor playing card games when the visitor arrived. Max looked up and so did Marbles who was reviewing notes with Ada at a window seat in the den. Father and daughter gave each other a knowing look before racing each other out the door to the control room.

Marbles thought he had the advantage since he was sitting at a desk – much further off the ground that Max, though she was closer to the door – but he hadn't even considered her Jujitsu stand-up. However, the two arrived on the scene at exactly the same time; both laughing and Marbles was more than pleased by how genuine Max's laugh was.

The visitor, it turned out, was Professor Ephraim Archimedes.

The kindly borg smiled as his two friends entered the room. Having been too busy – and not possessing a television – Ephraim knew nothing about Max's kidnapping and death. But he was amused, and greatly surprised, to see how genuinely happy Max was . . . and how relaxed Marbles seemed to be.

He inclined his head at Max while facing Marbles. "She finally break?" He asked.

"Yes." Marbles said, wrapping an arm across her shoulders and squeezing her to him. "She broke yesterday. The weight of what she's done is no longer a problem."

"It's about time." Ephraim said, smiling at her.

"Will you two stop talking about me like I'm not here!" Max snapped.

Ephraim gave Max a long, considering look before looking at Marbles. "She's got a wee temper, doesn't she?"

"She's been like that since yesterday, too."

Ephraim was about to make a remark when he had a thought. _What had happened yesterday that made her this way?_

Max, as though reading his mind, turned away from him and lifted the back of her red gi to her shoulders. There, Ephraim could see the rhombus-type scar pattern across her shoulders and, when she turned to face him, he saw the puckering scar on her left side. Ephraim was far older than he looked, old enough to remember the old executions carried out on criminals. He knew what the scars represented, though he had never seen scars on those that were executed this way as they were dismantled and the pieces recycled, and though he didn't recognize the scars on her back. Ephraim knew how the process worked as it was he who developed the ROM-IP.

He developed ROM-IP because he felt the execution methods used on the criminals was simply barbaric – leaving them conscious throughout the entire procedure while every piece was strategically removed. The pain those criminals endured was enough. Ephraim wanted there to be a choice.

Ephraim's jaw dropped. "You – you didn't? You didn't actually -"

Max nodded. She knew Ephraim didn't pay attention to the news as it was a distraction from his work. "I did. But someone other than the usual authorities was doing it."

"Who?"

"The Wicked Witch. And a boy named Ledge."

"How – how did you survive?" Ephraim asked.

"That is a long story best told another time." Marbles said. "I'm certain you didn't come just to see us."

"Yore right, Ah didn't." Ephraim answered, remembering the disk he now had stored in his lab coat pocket. He pulled it out. "Ah did et, Dr. Marbles! Ah finally found the cure to Motherboard's virus. Et's right here ready to be loaded."

Marbles exchanged an excited look with Max. "This will be faster with two of us. Would you join me, Max? For old time's sake?"

Max nodded before she left to get two pairs of Hack-Tech gloves. When she returned, everyone was in the control room to witness Motherboard's restoration to full health. Max handed one pair of gloves off to Marbles and the two stepped up to Motherboard's terminal; slipping on their gloves as they went. Ephraim approached, too, and slipped the disk into the slot.

Marbles and Max stood side-by-side and held their hands out to the terminal in perfect synchronization. Cables plugged into slots from the palms of the gloves and, after tapping the hem of the gloves together, a holographic image appeared between their hands. Marbles looked up at Motherboard's holographic face.

"Soon, Motherboard. Soon you will be free of that horrible virus." He said.

Motherboard smiled. "I look forward to it, Dr. Marbles. You may begin."

Max popped both sides of her neck, then loosened her shoulders. "Let's begin, then."

"Yes. Let's." Agreed Marbles.

Everyone watched with fascination as Marbles and Max activated the disk's contents and worked the formulas into Motherboard's system; both playing off the other's own strings of code. Neither one spoke. Instead, they focused completely on what was forming on the holographic screens in front of them while their LED-capped fingers typed at transparent keyboards. After what seemed like twenty minutes of waiting, it was done. Motherboard closed her eyes and a relieved smile showed across her features. The hypnotic background looked brighter than ever and everyone knew the anti-virus was working.

"Thank you, Professor." Marbles said, disconnecting from the terminal and handing the disk back to his friend. Max did the same and peeled the gloves off.

Ephraim waved it off. "Keep it, just in case she is to be infected again." He said, with a smile.

"Max, who is that?" Echo asked, looking at the strange-looking borg. She had been listening to his heavy accent and was fascinated by how a Scotsman (though a borg one) could live in Cyberspace.

Max smiled and put an arm across Echo's shoulders. "This is Professor Ephraim Archimedes. Professor, this is my friend, Echo Glasgow."

Ephraim presented Echo with a hand. "A pleasure to meet yoo, Lassie." He said.

Echo took the hand. "Pleasure to meet you, too, Professor." She said.

"That accent. Yoo must be from Scotland, too." Ephraim said.

"You're from Scotland on Earth?" Echo asked him, she was beginning to like Ephraim very much.

"Well, so to speak." Ephraim admitted.

"He's the embodiment of a Scottish professor." Marbles said. "Nothing more."

"That is true, Dr. Marbles." Ephraim said, releasing Echo's hand. Then, he turned to Max. "Ah would like tae know how yoo survived the Steel Crucifix."

"Yes. As would I."

Everyone turned toward the voice in the doorway. There, they saw two borgs, both similar in appearance though one looked much older than the other. The younger one, who was actually Slider, ran at Max and threw his arms around her; squeezing her tightly.

"You are an idiot! Don't you dare scare me like that again!" He said.

"I hadn't intended to scare anyone. It just happened." Max told him. She tried to push him away but he insisted on holding her longer than she was comfortable with.

"Why did it happen?" Asked the older borg.

Max looked up at him. "Because I took the life of another borg and escaped justice." She finally managed to get Slider off her. "I think it would be better if I just showed you. Though, I'm not sure I want everyone to see this. It's not for the faint of heart." She paused, then addressed the older borg in a hard voice. "Besides, I don't think I owe anyone – least of all you – an explanation. Did you at least tell him everything?" She pointed to Slider.

Coop sighed. "Yes. But, I suppose I should tell you as well." With that, he began his tale.

1

It was nearly nine years ago. Cooper was still young and naïve, and he had an eight-year-old son to think about and take care of. Everything Cooper did was because he wanted to provide Slider with a brighter future. So, when the stranger appeared with promises of making that future possible for Slider, Cooper couldn't help but agree.

The stranger appeared in a large, purple cybercraft with a green dome and tinted windows. The craft landed just outside the city and the stranger came on a Cyberscooter to Cooper's front door. He said Cooper had skills he wanted to hire and that he would make it worth Cooper's while.

"What services?" Cooper said as he repaired a Cybercoop engine that had fallen into such disrepair, it was horrible.

The stranger pulled a coil of plans from the inside pocket of his cloak and laid them out on Cooper's workstation. Curiosity got the better of Cooper and he unrolled the plans. It featured a strange-looking machine that could make anything possible. Including the imagination.

"I want you to build this machine for me." Said the Stranger, who introduced himself simply as Hieronymus.

"What does it do?" Cooper asked, though the description was there in the right hand side of the plans, he wasn't sure if he understood it all.

"It does everything. It's a dream-machine. A dream-maker. All you have to do is think about what you want to be and it does it for you." Hieronymus said. "Think of how this would benefit Cyberspace. Think of how everyone would benefit from this."

Cooper did think about it. He thought about all the borgs that were in disrepair or were missing parts that couldn't be replaced. He thought about other uses and realized the possibilities were entirely endless.

But, Cooper still hesitated. Yes, the possibilities _were_ endless. The good . . . and the bad. A machine with a power of this magnitude would not only help Cyberspace, but could hurt it as well. Cooper didn't want to be the catalyst to that very real possibility.

Before he could toss the plans aside, however, Hieronymus spotted a picture of Cooper on a desk, holding Slider and smiling as the boy held up his first skateboard. Slider had built the board himself without much help from Cooper. Cooper couldn't have been more proud.

Hieronymus went to the desk and picked up the picture. "I'll make it worth your while."

"How?" Cooper asked.

"I'll ensure a brighter future for your son." Hieronymus answered.

That sealed the deal for Cooper. Promises like that was often the way to win Cooper over and he agreed to start on the machine. They went to work building the machine and refining the plans when things went awry. But, as the days dragged on and the project grew closer and closer to the end, Hieronymus' true plans for the project started to show. Cooper realized that the borg was not right in his mind and flat-out refused to continue working on it. He ripped up all the blueprints and sent them to the farthest reaches of Cyberspace where Hieronymus would never find them. Then, to make sure Hieronymus would never finish the project, Cooper destroyed all the technology available, except for the NIC – Network Interface Card – which made the project possible. He hid the card away where Hieronymus would never find it, too.

Hieronymus, in a heat of anger, swore to get Cooper back for what he had done. Cooper waited for weeks for something to happen to him and his son, but nothing ever did happen. At least not right away. As time passed, Cooper let his guard down and instantly regretted it.

One morning, he headed out to the ramp to practice some new skating techniques he saw the pros do when he felt a stinging sensation from his head. The stinging quickly turned to a burning and Cooper was floored. His helmet started to glow a bright green and he was barely able to get it off before further damage was done.

Much to his relief, Slider was out with friends when Cooper returned to the garage. He didn't want Slider to see him in case the Magnetite-laced helmet did something horrible to him. As he passed by the stainless steel surface of the cabinet, though, he saw his reflection and didn't like what he saw. The Magnetite had sent him into a fast-forward aging process and Cooper knew right away who was responsible.

Hieronymus!

While it was Cooper who had betrayed Hieronymus by backing out of the plans, Cooper was afraid Hieronymus would return and take his frustrations out on Slider as well. So Cooper took the NIC and hid it inside the picture frame holding the photo of him with his son – the one Hieronymus had taken an interest in before the project began. Then, without saying a word to anyone about where he was going, he left, knowing his older brother, Matthias, would take care of Slider until the boy was ready to take care of himself.

For years, Cooper roamed Cyberspace alone; avoiding contact with anyone who might know him. During that time, he heard about Hieronymus' return to Cyberspace and his plans to overthrow Motherboard. However, since Cooper was a mechanic and not a fighter like his niece was, he could do nothing. He had also heard rumors about a gargoyle being allowed to roam Cyberspace freely but wasn't sure if those were true or not.

Eleven months ago when Hieronymus had been defeated by the aforementioned gargoyle, Cooper had made plans to return to Radopolis and reunite with his son. But, when rumors of a new evil rising reached his ears, Cooper had to lay low lest it was Hieronymus Hacker come back from the dead. The Magnetite had done more than irreversibly age Cooper, it made him suspicious of anyone with evil intentions lest they be someone who could turn him into a catalyst against the world he loved.

0

"So, why did you come back, Uncle?" Max asked, harshly. "Why did you finally decide to show your sorry face after all this time?"

"Maxanne! That's enough!" Marbles said, firmly. He had to admit he was a little disappointed with Cooper's decision to abandon Slider, too, but he wouldn't put up with any disrespect toward his younger brother, either.

Max flinched – Marbles almost never raised his voice with her. "Sorry." She muttered under her breath, though she didn't really mean it.

Cooper nodded out the big, glass windows. "I was on Cybersite Castleblanca when I heard the news report that you were dead. Naturally, I was concerned my older brother would need someone close to him to help him through this dark time. Much to my surprise, you weren't dead. So, why the report and secrecy?"

Max's dark-brown eyes met Coop's grey-blue ones. "Because there is a dark evil out there who wanted me dead. In all actuality, I didn't survive and it is all through the powers of Alchemy and Sorcery that I am alive now."

"What was that about an acid?" Slider asked.

Max looked over her shoulder at Motherboard's terminal, then back at the waiting audience. Finally, she said, "Maybe it would be better if I showed you." She went to the terminal and pulled out a dongle, which she inserted into a USB port and jabbed the thing in the back of her neck. "I will warn you, this is not for the faint of heart. If you want to leave, do so now."

Nobody moved. Max nodded reprovingly.

"Motherboard, I give you ROM access. Security code four-six-nine-see-sixteen-bee. Category, negas. Subcategory delta phi." Max said.

"Acknowledged." Motherboard said. "I will draw out only what you give me. Choose carefully."

"I will." Max said.

She sat cross-legged on the floor and put her hands together in the warrior's meditation form. After closing her eyes, Motherboard was replaced by a green screen with the words ROM ACCESS: GRANTED written in bold, red letters. The screen was then filled with memories, all from Max's point of view and was displayed like a movie taken from a camera owned by an inexperienced user.

1

At first, there was nothing but a confusing swirl as the Cybercoop careened dangerously out of control toward Cybersite Nowhere. Then, as it slid to a stop, Max was flung forward against the steering wheel. They heard her cuss and watched as she stepped out of the coop to get her bearings and kick the coop while screaming several choice obscenities before rooting around for the toolbox.

They watched as she stuck her head inside the hood of the coop to find the problem but discovered none. Then, they heard _him_. The boy who tortured Max before leaving her to the Wicked Witch. The Squad knew that even if they hadn't known how this stream of memories would end, they wouldn't like that kid. It was just too coincidental that he was there while Max was marooned.

They listened to Max and Ledge chatted a while, mostly small talk. Meanwhile, they also heard Max's thoughts overlapping all Ledge had to say. She didn't trust him at first either.

They saw her hit him in the head with the wrench and try to run. They saw her fall and hear her grunt as Ledge zapped her with something. Then, there was darkness.

Within a few seconds, there was light. A blinding light coming from a halogen lamp far above her. She grunted and looked away; blinking against the light. They heard the familiar voice of Delete telling Ledge Max had awakened. Ledge approached and pushed Max against the wall. Then, he told her everything. Over his shoulder, they could see the Steel Crucifix being constructed and were unable to stop the involuntary shiver that ran down their spines. They saw Wicked approach and tell Max how eager she was to get started. In her eyes, they could see the sanity lingering there. Then, they heard Ledge tell Wicked to leave her alone.

They saw Max try to run and heard the spell being cast and Dominator being invoked. They saw her stumble as Bramblebind wrapped itself around her. They heard her pain as Dominator landed on her back and stabbed her with his mace-like hands. They saw her vomit and him use Ropetrick to bind her to the Steel Crucifix. They watched as Ledge removed the panel, unplugged her fan, and yanked out her cooling rod. They watched as Buzz and Delete stabbed her with the tubes and Ledge plug the dongle into her neck.

"_We're going to kill you, Max." _Ledge said, flatly. Max's description of him being able to talk to her about murder without batting an eye was more than accurate. Everyone knew this boy was going to be a problem.

"_But, for now, I'm going to be merciful to you. That dongle has immediate access to your Read-Only Memory, but it won't do anything while your thought processes are still working. Therefore, I am going to dull your senses. You won't feel a thing during the rest of the procedure. Any last requests?"_

Max's vision fogged as the tears came._ "Please. Let my father find my body. That's all I want is for my father to have some closure. He needs some closure. Please."_

"_I'll think about it." Ledge said. He pressed harder on her forehead. "Simplemind." He muttered._

There was blackness. Everyone let out the breaths they hadn't known they were holding only to suck them in again when the visions came.

Visions of Hacker's return and the kidnappings. Visions of the beatings and death threats. The night she was turned into a gargoyle. The night she was electrocuted with high-voltage cattle prods while restrained to a wall and a brank in her mouth. They saw her escape with Digit only to lose pieces of herself along the way. After that, the visions were disjointed.

They barely saw the warriors who came to her rescue or the three technicians who came to patch her up. They saw her being kidnapped, once again, by Hacker (only about eight years later). They barely saw him inject her over and over again with a sedative nor did they barely see the room where she had been electrocuted repeatedly by a generator. In one, brief moment, they did see Inez's anxious and worried face as she looked down on a slowly dying Max. Then, darkness consumed her.

0

Max stood up, abruptly and ripped the dongle out of her head.

"That's it." She said. "The rest of it, you all know about."

"Is that last bit what you saw during the ROM-IP?" Inez asked.

Max put her hands down on the terminal and lowered her head, breathing slowly. "Yeah. Apparently, it's not just physical torture. It's psychological as well. That's what made me break when I came back to life. It's one thing to live through it in your dreams, but quite another to be forced to relive it all when some evil is making you do it."

"The ROM-IP was developed as a method of mercy toward the criminals. However, it's not always so merciful. In some cases, it can be reprogrammed to make the criminal relive their worst moments. If the criminal was to survive any of it, they would surely never be the same again." Ada said.

She went to Max and embraced her. Max leaned into her and let her tears fall. She thought she had been done crying, but showing everyone what went on inside her head during the ROM-IP reopened the wounds she thought were closed.

"I'm sorry, Max." Ada said, squeezing her tightly.

"I'm sorry, too, Mom." Max said. "Me getting killed like that . . . it had to hurt you." She looked at the Squad. "All of you. I really don't mean to be such a hindrance to you all, but . . . for some reason, bad people just target me for execution."

Marbles went to her as well, as did the Squad, Digit, Echo, Ephraim, Cooper, and Slider. Everyone was hugging and squeezing Max. But, there was one who didn't join in. Lok. Like his father who had no idea how to be of comfort to anyone, Lok stood apart from them; waiting for the hug fest to end. And hoping nobody would notice either.

Unfortunately for him, Max did notice. She broke away from everyone and went to him.

"Sarlah Ka'i, t'nash-veh orensu." _Come here now, my student._ She opened her arms to him.

Without a moment's hesitation, Lok went to her and leaned into her as she rested her chin on his shoulder.

"Ni'droi'ik nar-tor." _I am sorry._ Max said.

"Ri'aishi nar'i." _It is okay._ Lok said.

"Actually, Ah should be the one who's sorry." Said Ephraim, putting a hand on Max's shoulder. She broke away and everyone looked at him, expecting an answer. "A long time ago, Ah was the one who made the ROM-IP."

"What?" Said everyone but Marbles and Ada, who knew of Ephraim's involvement with the project.

Ephraim nodded, guiltily. "Aye. Et used to be all criminals were immobilized and dismantled while still conscious. Ah felt sorry for the ones who committed lesser crimes. Ah felt they deserved better.

"Yoo must believe me when Ah say this, Max. Ah never expected yoo to undergo sich a horrible punishment. When Ah developed et, yoo weren't even thought of yet. Neither was yore pappy for that matter."

"How long ago was that?" Matt asked.

"Professor Archimedes was created about the same time as my father, Net." Marbles said. "The Steel Crucifix has been around since Siren's time." He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "The Steel Crucifix was made about the time Siren turned forty-five."

"Ah was only in mah late twenties when Ah developed the ROM-IP." Archimedes admitted. "Et was meant merely to incapacitate the criminal but not mentally harm them. Obviously, this boy must have reprogrammed it to make you relive everything."

"It's okay, Professor." Max said. "Actually, it was better than the pain of having acid erode my circuits."

"It was Hydrofluoric acid, wasn't it?" Slider asked.

"Yeah, it was." Max said. "All because I killed Hieronymus. Ledge thought I deserved it."

"Who was the first one to be executed that way, Dr. Marbles?" Inez asked.

"Perth McGaherty." Motherboard said, instead of Marbles. "He was accused to killing a family of four in cold oil1."

Echo had been standing fairly close to Max when Motherboard said Perth's name. Max could feel Echo's muscles tighten and a shiver rippled through her. Max's eyes slid in Echo's direction and and she wondered what could've caused Echo such a tremor.

"I was the one who sentenced him to prison until he was able to repent. He only laughed and I knew we couldn't have someone like him roaming Cyberspace freely." Motherboard said. "Though, that was long before the ROM-IP came into existence."

"How long have you been in existence, Motherboard?" Jackie asked her.

"My second-great-grandfather, Siren Marbles, was the one who built her. He was only nineteen when he did it, too." Max said. "Ever since Siren, it's been my family's job to take care of her and make sure her system is functioning properly. Eventually, Dad will go and I will take over from him. And so will my children and my children's children should I decide to continue the line."

"I hope you will." Marbles said, giving her a meaningful look.

"If I survive to do it, I will." Max said, returning his look.

"Max, lift your shirt and take out your panel." Cooper said. "I wanna see this."

"As do Ah." Ephraim said.

Max gave a growl that was much louder than was possible for a borg and they could all guess that she had morphed her vocal cords to that of a gargoyle.

"You do realize that my internal system is _private_?" Max snapped, irritably.

"Actually, Max, I was going to check it again this morning to make sure the acid was really gone." Marbles said.

Max pointed a finger at him. "Okay. One, _you_ I will allow to poke around in there. You built me, you know how things are supposed to look. Two, if there was still acid in my system, don't you think I would be screaming about now?"

"Not with the way you hold everything in." Marbles pointed out.

"Touche." Max said. She waited, then rolled her eyes. "Fine. Let's play a game. It's called 'Dissect Max'."

"Oh, don't be so melodramatic." Ada said, leading Max to a window seat.

The teen borg lifted her shirt to just below her chest and laid down. Marbles carefully eased the panel off and peeked inside.

"OH MY GOD! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?" Marbles said, abruptly.

Max sat bolt upright, fear and surprise clearly seen on her face. "WHAT?"

He laughed. "Kidding."

Everyone smirked and there were a few that laughed. Echo shook her head, but even she couldn't stop smiling. "That was mean." She said.

Max narrowed her eyes at him. "I hate you right now."

"Oh whatever." Marbles said, shoving her back down. "I've always wanted to do that. The number of times you scared me doesn't compare to that little prank."

"Uh huh." Max said.

She lay as still as possible while Marbles poked around inside her circuits. When he was satisfied nothing was out of place or corroded by any excess acid left in her system, he stepped back.

"Do you mind if your uncle Cooper and the others take a look?" Marbles asked.

"Sort of. I'm sure the humans are pretty curious about what a borg's internal system looks like, though, so I guess I'll allow it."

Marbles nodded and motioned for everyone to take a turn; telling them they could ask only one question. That rule was exempt for the inquisitive borgs who knew how a borg's internal system worked. But, for the humans, this rule was about to be firmly enforced.

Cooper reached inside and poked around a little; fascinated by how _whole_ everything seemed to be. He had seen what Hydrofluoric acid did and this was nothing short but a miracle to him.

"Was there actually acid in your system?" Cooper asked.

"Yes." Max said, exasperated. "Ask those guys, they'll tell you I was being flooded by a green liquid." She pointed to the Cybersquad and Lok who nodded in confirmation.

"Hydrofluoric acid, huh?" Cooper said. He reached into the shaft and carefully poked at her circuit board. Max immediately growled and her mouth opened, revealing sharp, gargoyle's teeth.

"Watch it!" She snapped. "I can feel what you're touching you're touching, you know!"

"That's not still sore is it?" Ada said.

"Yes! It was eaten by an acid! Of course it would be sore!" Max grumbled. "Next!"

Cooper moved aside and Slider looked in. Thankfully, Sly had no questions nor did he poke at any components. He did express concern for her and asked her not to scare him like that again. She smiled and promised she wouldn't.

Ephraim looked in next and expressed continued fascination at how _whole_ everything was. He didn't poke anything either since Max had made a certain formula quite clear: finger + internal system + poke = lose finger.

Then, it was the kids' turn. Inez went first and, when she looked in, she was very much surprised to see that everything was mechanical, though she was wondering about the deal with the respirator and the flat-lining. Remembering she had one question, she asked about it.

Marbles stepped in and pointed to a pair of segmented cylinders on both sides. "These are vents. Unlike living organisms who must breathe to survive, we borgs need only to breathe to keep our system cool. This rod, here, is full of cryoxide and as Max's system heats, the cryoxide rod perspires and this fan, here, blows on the rod and keeps the system cool. However, as a safeguard, there are hollow tubes – much like an esophagus – all the way up the throat and nasal cavities. These vents take out the hot air and pushes in cool air."

"Cool." Inez said, smiling.

She left and Jackie stepped in. Jackie's question was about how each of the components worked together to keep her going. Once again, Marbles answered it using layman's terms; telling her how signals from the brain is translated into binary code and is sent to the CPU which talks to the hard drive and the hard drive talks to the roto-motors which move the appropriate part. The circuit board is in charge of controlling everything inside the body and talks to the different roto-motors in the body. Jackie nodded her thanks and left.

Matt stepped in. "How do you eat?"

"This isn't going to turn into a poop question, is it?" Max asked.

"No." Matt told her.

Max sat up and leaned against the wall as Marbles pointed out the part.

"This tube, here, is the 'esophagus'. When we eat food – crushing it up into tiny pieces and mixing it with a chemical much like your own saliva – it travels down the esophagus to the 'stomach', here. The stomach processes all that's taken in – food, water, other such intake – and turns it into energy. We can also eat whatever is edible to humans, which is about the only common thing we share. Aside from family values, no matter how broken they are."

Matt nodded his thanks and left.

Echo was next. But, she took hardly any interest in Max's internal system at all and, instead, leaned close to her. "I'm glad I could've brought you back."

Max smiled at her. "I am too."

1

On the morning of Lok's graduation, Control Central was bustling with activity. Particularly from the two warriors who had more to prepare for than the others. All that morning, Echo had been antsy. Max could sense it, though she didn't understand why.

Back in her room, Max dragged out the box of armor and laid all the pieces out on her bed. She checked straps for cracks and flexibility and tested the plates underneath the blood-red leather casing. The armor hadn't been used much at all. Even for a non-Shangrinese warrior, Max's own armor had been worn about the same number of times as the others. However, this kind of armor was worn only during ceremonies and missions, not for war. The Plain warriors wore armor all the time. Those weren't decoration.

Technically, this was the third suit Max ever had. Her last one had been traded in because she had grown so much. But even it had only been worn once during her fitting. She carefully, and almost apologetically, brushed the armor off with her hand and laid the pieces on the floor; arranged exactly how they would go on her body. Then, she sat on her bed and began repairing her weapons. That was when Echo began speaking.

"Max. I really need to talk to you about something. I think you should hear this."

Max poured a little bit of water over two whetstones and began grinding a knife against them. She didn't look up. "Okay, but we need to be on Shangri-La in a few minutes. Can it wait?"

Echo shook her head. "No! It can't! If – if I wait, I won't be able to say any of it!"

Max looked up. She saw Echo's face and could understand. She set everything aside to eliminate distractions. This was obviously a sore subject for Echo and it was taking a lot of courage for her to say it.

"Very well. Fire away." She said.

Echo took a breath and closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to see the judgmental look Max was sure to give her.

"Trying to live and love . . . with a heart that can't be broken . . . is like trying to see the light with eyes that can't be opened. Yeah, we both carry baggage that we've picked up on our way. So if you love me do it gently . . . and I will do the same."

She paused and waited, trying to find the perfect words to say."

"We may shine and we may shatter. We may be picking up the pieces here on after. We are fragile and we are human, but we are shaped by the light that we let through us. And we break fast, 'cause we are glass."

Max listened, curiosity looming. She knew Echo was as broken as she was, but had no idea how.

"I'll let you look inside me – through the stains and through the cracks. And in the darkness of this moment, you'll see the good and bad. Oh don't try to judge me, 'cause we've walked down different paths. But it brought us here together, so I won't take that back."

Echo opened her eyes, slowly, expecting to see something on Max's face. She saw nothing. No judgmental looks or hate-laden glances. Only a spark of curiosity lingering in her eyes.

"What are you trying to say, Echo?" Max asked, prompting explanation.

Another breath. "We might be oil and water – this could be a big mistake. We might burn like gasoline and fire, but it's a chance we'll have to take." She locked gazes with Max. "The thing is, I know what you've been going through and I understand why you were holding all that in. You don't want to relive any of it, do you? You don't want to think about it, and talking about it makes you relive it, doesn't it?"

Max nodded. Then, she smiled. "You're making it sound like you killed someone." She began laughing like it was all a joke.

Echo looked away, hurt by the burst of mirth expressed. Max stopped.

"You didn't, did you?"

Echo nodded.

"I see." The smile faded and Max cleared her throat. "Who was he?"

"A criminal, just like Hacker, only this man murdered four people. I was in a faction known as the Black Coats. They made me behead him."

Max swallowed. "How old were you?" Her voice was low and flat, no curiosity or judgment there.

"Twelve."

"Why did you serve these people?"

Echo unloaded everything. Her family life and her time in the orphanage. The beheading of Perth MaGaherty, the abuse and neglect. Echo even went as far as to talk about Guilt. When she was finished, Max nodded.

"Why are you telling me this?" Max asked. She didn't sound scornful or irritated. In fact, it was a real question. One Echo chose to answer.

"Because you were just as broken as I was."

The answer caught Max off-guard for a moment. She hadn't figured on Echo picking up on those signals. The signals of her own injuries she had been trying so hard to hide. After a moment of silence, Max nodded.

"That I was. Though, our situations were vastly different. I had a father who loved me and a mother who was willing to claim me though she was not there during my start-up. I belong to the warriors of Shangri-La and they give me a purpose. But, like you, I was abused and neglected only because I stood in his way. I was tortured and nearly killed four times. I was beaten to a pulp on more than one occasion. Yet, I survived. . . . And so have you."

Echo stared at her in astonishment before realizing the truth in what was said. She _had_ survived it all. The abuse from her fellow orphans had only been meant to demean and dominate her, not kill her. But it was still abuse nonetheless. The caretaker did nothing to stop the horrible pain.

While Max's words had meant to be comforting to her, Echo couldn't stop the tears from flowing. Max immediately knew something wasn't right and left the bed; opening her arms to Echo.

"Sarlah Ka'i, t'nash-veh t'hai'la." _Come here, my friend._

Though Echo didn't understand Vul'kahR, she went to Max and embraced her around the middle, gently sobbing into her shoulder and Max rested her chin on Echo's crown. Brokenness was easier shared with someone who shared similar pain. They stood there a few minutes while Echo let it all out. She sobbed until there was nothing left and she was reduced to sniffing.

Echo pulled away from Max and put a hand to her chest. From over the dip of her thumb and forefinger, Max could see a lump in the girl's shirt and wondered what it was. After a moment of silence, Echo pulled a gem necklace from the inside of her shirt and placed the cord around Max's neck.

"I used this to bring you back. I've infused it with my magic to protect you."

Max looked down at the glowing, green gem wrapped in a brown vine. It was celtic-like in appearance and Max could see why Echo wore it.

"Protect me? From what?"

"From yourself, for one thing." Echo said. "You've died too many times."

"I've only died once." Max said.

"Yes, and that is one too many times." Echo said. She touched the gem, pressing it against Max's chest. "And, it will protect you from evil. You seem to be a magnet for trouble."

"Not my fault."

"No. Of course it's not." Echo said, exasperated. Then, she hugged Max, squeezing her tightly. "You're my friend and I don't want to see anything bad happen to you."

"Okay." Was all Max could say, wrapping her arms around Echo and squeezing her just as tightly. "Is there anything else I should know?"

Echo leaned away from her. "Yes. As long as you don't go gargoyle, that amulet will protect you."

"Why can't I go gargoyle?"

"Because you're too big. My magic isn't that strong yet."

"Strong enough to bring me back from the dead." Max pointed out.

"That was easy. I had a little help from a Transmutation circle then. This time, it's just my magic in that amulet."

"Okay. I'll remember." She nodded to the pile of weapons on her bed. "Help me out with these will you. You can polish the knives after I whet them."

"I thought you said **'You can look but you can't touch'**." Echo said.

"I'm giving you permission this time." Max said, handing Echo a rag and a bottle of polish. "You don't have to if you don't want to. But the job will go faster if two of us are doing it."

"That's true." Echo said, nodding as she took the supplies.

0

Since the guests to Shangri-La included a large number of people, instead of taking a Cybercoop, Marbles requested for a portal to Shangri-La. They had to leave sooner because Lok and Max were among them and both warriors needed to receive instructions on how this ceremony was to go – normally, Max would've had a ceremony to celebrate her boost to Shield-maiden, but it had just been a quiet, formal occurrence between apprentice and master.

No sooner had everyone arrived on Shangri-La than everyone could see the entire Site was bustling with activity. Even the young apprentices were involved with the construction of the stage where the ceremony was to take place.

"Who's that?" Inez asked, pointing to the tall, gangly boy carrying a sword across one shoulder.

Lok needed only to glance at the fellow apprentice to know who it was. "That's Levi. He's an expert swordsmen and he was a page like me. His sword is name Ves'nekt."

Max smirked. "That's an ironic name for a sword." She started to laugh and tears of mirth rolled down her face.

"What does that mean?" Matt asked.

"It means kindness in Vul'kahR." Max said.

Now everyone understood. Levi had named his sword to play with the phrase "Kill them with kindness". And judging by Levi's stocky build and the lightness of his stride, it was obvious he knew what he could do with the sword.

"Who's that?" Jackie asked, pointing to two boys.

One carried a pair of sticks over both shoulders and the other held a scythe and chain in both hands. Once again, Lok only had to give one glance to know who they were.

"The one with the hood is Nathan; he's a Sword-thane's apprentice like me. Those poles are lightning rods and the suit protects him from any back-current from the poles. The other boy is Zeke. He's dangerous with the scythe."

"Who's that one?" Matt asked, pointing to a lone, young boy wearing a stick over one shoulder.

"Solomon." Lok said. "He's another Plain warrior. His staff allows him complete control over the elements."

"Sounds like he could've been a Thane, too." Matt said.

"He would've been." Max said. "Except, he just wasn't ready for it. Nor will he ever be now that I've surpassed him and chosen Nathan and Lok out of the bunch to begin training as Thanes."

"You were the one who picked the Thanes?" Jackie said.

Max nodded. "There was a discrepancy between Master Pi and the Red Warrior about who the next Thane should be. They only wanted one but I could see two as being useful and Master Pi agreed with me that with a shadow stretching across Cyberspace, two would be more useful than one. I chose Lok because he showed a lot of promise and because Master Pi thought his gifts would be far more useful than anyone else's. I picked Nathan, too, because he showed a great deal of talent and he was well-versed in the warrior way – not only did Nathan know it, but he put it into practice all the time."

"Why didn't you choose him as Thane?" Inez asked Max.

"I have my reasons. None of which I will repeat." Max answered.

Thankfully, Max didn't have time to answer for they were greeted by Master Pi and the Red Warrior. Pi opened his arms wide in greeting.

"Welcome. Thank you for coming to this magnificent event."

The Squad bowed like frogs and Echo curtseyed. Marbles bowed, stiffly, like a nobleman and Ada also curtseyed. Digit spread his wings and inclined his head. But Lok and Max did an elaborate sweep of their right feet and bowed with their fists over their left shoulders.

"We are pleased to be here, Master." Max and Lok intoned.

Pi smiled and folded his arms back inside his sleeves. His dark-eyed gaze passing over the many outsiders there. "It pleases me that so many friends of Shangri-La could attend this event as we are about to honor two Apprentices who have made it to the next phase of their lives: Sword-thane."

"We are pleased to be here." Said the visitors.

"Very well." Pi said. He turned and gestured to the field where the stage had been set. "Let us begin then." As they started toward the stage, Master Pi suddenly pressed a hand against Max's chest; addressing her in Vul'kahR. "There is something I would like to see you do."

"What, exactly, Master?" Max responded in Vul'kahR.

"You must display your Hapkido skills with your teacher, Jethro. Not in a true fight but in a dance."

"Oh, that's a fine way to spring something on me." Max retorted.

"I would have told you sooner but you were not available to discuss this. Are you up to it?" Pi asked.

Max thought about it. To not do it would be a disappointment to her master. To do it only to mess up somewhere would also disappoint him. _Just don't mess up._

"Very well, Master. I shall do what you say." She said.

"Good." Master Pi smiled at her. As his hand slid down off her chest, his fingers came across the gem dangling over the breast plate of her armor. "What is this?" He asked, picking up the amulet.

"A gift from Echo. She said it was to protect me." Max said.

Master Pi clasped the amulet in his hand. "Powerscan." He said. A wave of signals entered his mind and he knew the amulet had been infused with a large pool of energy. "You are lucky to have a friend to care so much about you like that. Especially a sorceress as powerful as she."

"Thank you, Master. I shall pass along the compliment." Max said.

Pi let the amulet fall back against her breast plate and the two of them headed toward the stage. There, Max stood with the warriors and faced the visitors who listened in earnest to the translated ceremonial speeches through earpieces she and Marbles had developed.

"Welcome, friends, to the beginning of a new era for the warriors of Shangri-La. Today we celebrate the progression of two of our warriors, Nathan and Lok, to Sword-thane." Pi said.

After that, the ceremony carried on. Pi used oil to draw a small symbol across the foreheads of both apprentices. Then, he placed his hands on them and prayed for them; attempting to bestow strength in times of weakness, knowledge in times of need, and acceptance when both are not enough to overcome. Then, came the pledges and both apprentices swore loyalty to their master and to the other warriors. After that, their red belts were traded in for black ones and a Sword-thane's sash was placed over their shoulders.

Then, Max and Jethro stepped forward, staves in hand and a mesmerizing dance took place. Unfortunately, the dance had barely started when some unwanted company arrived.

1

"The page has been set, Boss." Said Buzz, though he didn't sound happy about doing Ledge's dirty work.

"Thank you." Ledge said, not looking away.

He had one of his books out on the desk and he was busy drawing another circle, one similar to the one now plastered on the back of the Good Vibration, on a sheet of sticky paper. He also had a small, five-shooter pistol on the desk along with an array of bullets and a few other materials. Obviously, Ledge had been busy preparing for this next phase.

"Now can I go?" Buzz asked.

Ledge sighed, putting down his pen. "Yes. You may go." He said. He abruptly spun and shot a bolt of red light at Buzz. "RAYPULSE!"

Buzz died before he even hit the floor.

"So difficult to find good help these days, my liege." Said Baskerville from the shadows.

"Indeed it is." Ledge said, kicking at the smoldering bot. "Do you want to abandon me, too?"

"No. I just question your methods, is all." Baskerville said. "Why Max? Why the human girl who is with Max? What is it about them that has caught your attention?"

"It has never been about them. They are merely the ones who stand in my way. Now, get the ship ready for departure. We leave for Shangri-La in the morning." Ledge said.

"Yes, my liege." Said Baskerville. He bowed and shuffled away only to stop when he heard Ledge say his name.

"Oh, and Baskerville." A bolt of red light cut a hole through Baskerville. The cyber-hound died before he hit the floor, too. "Don't ever question my methods."

With that, he went back to preparing for what was to come. Slipping into a protective suit, he mixed together bits of Magnetite with liquid adrenaline into a compound and sealed it inside five bullets. He knew he didn't need five but he wanted to be sure he had enough for his plan to work. After stripping out of the suit, he slipped the bullets into the gun and pocketing the lot, he stuffed three sticky pages of paper into his other pocket and shouldered a jetpack.

Now, it was time for him to make his move.

0

Max cartwheeeled out of the way as a burst of red light hit the ground where she and Jethro had been only seconds before. Dirt and loam sprayed out from underneath her soft boots and a knife was in her hand before she knew that she had grabbed it.

Ledge landed daintily in the middle of the field, smiling at them all. "I see that I have crashed a party of some sort. Shame you forgot to invite me."

"You do not belong here, Ledge." Master Pi said, firmly. "Leave now or we will not hesitate to use force."

"Is that any way to talk to the son of Hacker." Ledge asked. Before Master Pi could answer, Ledge raised a finger and pointed it at him. "You do not have the power to push me around. I am not one of your pathetic lackeys so do not think you have any authority over me."

"What do you want, Ledge?" Max asked.

Ledge looked at her, as though noticing her for the first time. "Max. How nice to see you again. I see you have survived the Steel Crucifix after all. So, what was the report all about? Were you trying to trick me into believing you really were dead after all?"

"That was the plan." Max told him.

"Well, as you can see, your plan failed." Ledge pulled a gun out of his pocket. He leveled it at Max's chest . . .

. . . and fired.

The bullet scored her, deeply and she fell on the ground screaming in pain. Not just because the bullet had lodge somewhere between a roto-motor and her circuit board, but because of what was inside the bullet. She could feel a burn that she was all too familiar with. Without thinking, she started to shift out of her borg body.

"What did you do to me?" She asked through gasps of pain.

"That bullet is laced with Magnetite and adrenaline. You have no choice but to go gargoyle with the Magnetite in your system. As to the adrenaline, it excites the gargoyle's cardio-vascular system. Even you won't be able to control it when you go on a rampage." Ledge told her with a smile.

"No. I won't do it!" Max screamed.

"Then lay there and let the pain of Magnetite engulf you!" Ledge said, the smile gone now. "Not that it matters. I have ways of forcing your hand."

He pulled two sheets of paper out of his pocket and plastered them on the palms of his hands. Then, his eyes centered on the four humans. As soon as he raised his hands, the kids went rigid and they were barely able to breathe.

"Fascinating." Ledge said. "Lifebending works on humans, too. Taarlok would be very interested to hear about that."

"LEAVE THEM ALONE!" Max screamed. It pained her to see them like that. And through her pain, her eyes began turning pink and a tail began to grow.

"MAX! STOP! DON'T LISTEN TO HIM!" Master Pi said firmly in Vul'kahR. "You mustn't go gargoyle! Stay borg! It will be alright."

"Says you!" Ledge said. He moved one finger, forcing Matt to suddenly slap Jackie and Jackie to deliver a blow to Inez's gut with another finger. Inez reached over and grabbed Echo by the hair and pulled while Echo kicked Matt in the kneecaps. "I HAVE COMPLETE CONTROL OVER EVERY LIVING THING! NO ONE CAN STOP ME! LEAST OF ALL _YOU!_"

Max knew she had to do something. Ledge was going too far making her friends do that. Digit, seeing that Max was about to go berserk, tried to intervene by pulling the kids apart. But the force of Ledge's Lifebending magic was too strong and Digit wasn't even able to budge them.

"Get away, you pestilent cyber-turkey!" Ledge shouted. With one hand, he forced Matt to backhand Digit and the poor cyboid was flung against the wall.

Max had had enough. She grabbed the knife she had dropped earlier when Ledge shot her. Holding it by the edge of the blade, she sighted the bracelet and released. The blade cut through the leather band and Ledge's connection with Dominator was severed. Ledge gasped with pain as the blade had also nicked some skin and he held his wrist; his control over the four humans now done.

"Bubblelift!" Lok shouted and the amulet soared into his hand. Ledge made a grab for it but it was already gone.

Ledge smirked. "So, you've separated me from my medium. No matter. I have a much bigger medium." From his pocket he pulled out a piece of paper which he slapped over his stomach. Then, his gaze centered on Max. "That little stunt will cost you that which is dear to you."

Both teens turned and looked at Marbles.

"ENDERFLAME!" Shouted Ledge.

"NOOOO!"

* * *

1 Cold oil – the cyborg equivalent of 'cold blood'


	17. Red Fog of Rage

_Chapter seventeen. okay, so maybe i lied a little. there is going to be one more death and it isn't who you expect. or, maybe you'd understand why. anyway, at least he died defending someone. i had to cut this chapter a little short and next chapter you'll see why i killed that extra character off. you're also going to see a few scary details here and there. so, this chapter isn't for the faint of heart. just fair to warn you.  
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_**Page count check:** 224.  
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_I don't own Cyberchase_._ Max is mine. Echo belongs exclusively to Kawaii Stella and her story Picking up the Broken Glass. I should probably also mention that Lok is not mine. the transmutation circle and the laws of Equivalent Exchange, along with the gates belong to FullMetal Alchemist.  
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Chapter Seventeen  
The Red Fog of Rage

Marbles' body hit the ground with a thud; his golden-brown eyes locked in on Max's brown ones; the once bright orbs now glazed over in death. The hole in his chest smoking.

Marbles was dead. Max couldn't believe it. Her father was dead and she could do nothing to stop it! It didn't seem right! It didn't seem fair! No, it was neither right nor fair. Max had always struggled with dying, knowing she would accept it willingly if it meant saving those she cared about. And all those times when she had shaken hands with death, she knew she had scared her father who had been helpless to stop most of it. Now, she understood how he must have felt. Watching her die time and time again and being able to do nothing to stop it.

Max's breath caught in her throat. She was numb all over. Worse yet, she couldn't scream. But some other sound ripped through her. A loud roar that shook the ground of Shangri-La and echoed across the site.

With her last bit of strength, she managed to tear her eyes away from Marbles' face; locking them in on Ledge's gleeful features. Suddenly, a red fog covered her vision and she was unable to stop the transformation that ripped through her. Her wild gargoyle side completely consumed her borg mentality; shoving it aside and caging it so it couldn't interfere.

"MAX, NO!" Lok cried. He reached out to grab her but it was too late.

White scales rippled down her body and her gargoyle self emerged. She darted across the field toward Ledge; the gargoyle desire to kill him too strong.

Ledge's smirk vanished. He had never seen such ferocity before and, suddenly, he knew the meaning of fear.

"Boltflare!" Ledge said.

The spell lanced down Max's back with such force, it should have floored her. But she kept coming.

"Augerfrost!" He screamed.

Still no effect. Max moved out of the way just before the freezing spell could touch her.

"Doublespell! Kindlestrike!" He shouted, sending a bolt of red light at her.

Nothing happened. She managed to evade it; the spell blasting out a portion of ground where her hind paw had been.

"Blackfire!"

A blaze of flames shot across her withers and the air became rank with the smell of burning flesh and hair. Blisters formed on the burned parts of her body, but Max hadn't stopped. She kept coming and was almost upon him.

Ledge tried again. "BLACKFIRE!" This time, the flames licked her belly, raising a rash of blisters across the soft scales as she leaped over it. But that hadn't stopped her either. The ruby eyes intent on him.

Ledge knew he had to stop her and soon. He had meant for her to target everyone else but he couldn't deny that while his plan to make her a monster had been successful, it had also backfired. There was only one more thing he had to do. One more spell that could save him. Ledge leaned back against his heels and his hands came up; stopping Max in mid-air with only a thought.

"Did you think it was going to be that easy?" Ledge demanded in a mocking tone. "You didn't think I would be prepared? For all the strength you possess in that body, Maxanne Marbles, even you are helpless against Taarlok's Lifebending technique! See? I can move you however I want!"

To prove this, Ledge moved his arms from left to right, then back again; Max moved with him. All the while, she struggled against it. Even Ledge could feel the tremors that vibrated in her muscles as she attempted to rebel against this torturous technique. Ledge smirked. And to prove he had absolute power over her, he held one hand level and moved just one finger. Max's right, front paw joined with her chest and the claws dug into her skin; breaking blisters and drawing blood as a result. As much as it hurt, Max's now wild mind barely even registered the pain as fluid and blood ran down her belly and dripped off her toes and tailtip.

Ledge laughed. It was working. He had his enemy completely at his mercy! If he wanted to, all he had to do was kill her, whether to use her own tailbarb or claws against her was completely up to him. Even the pulsing of her heart gave him some ideas on how to do it. He could squeeze that vital organ until it burst. But that seemed too quick. He wanted to have some fun with her.

He bounced her off the ground a few times until the blood mingled with the dirt. Then, he drew her in close.

"I'm going to kill you, Max. Again." He said.

He felt a sharp pain in the small of his back. The Red Warrior pressed a knife hard into him.

"Let her go." The warrior hissed.

Ledge looked over his shoulder and smirked. "You don't have any power to boss me around here."

"Kill her and I kill you." The warrior warned.

"If you don't remove that blade, I swear I will squeeze her heart." Ledge threatened. To put emphasis on his threat, he found her heart and squeezed. Max went still for only a moment and blood trickled out of the corners of her mouth. "If you care at all about her life, you will back off."

Red hesitated. Max was his student and while he wasn't supposed to grow attached to those he taught, Max had a place in his circuit board. He backed up and took the blade out of Ledge's back.

"Thank you." Ledge told the diminutive warrior. "But, you realize I was going to kill her anyway."

He sank back onto his haunches and, with one hand, forced her tailbarb into her stomach; just below her ribcage. Even that was no fun because Max was too far gone to even feel anything. But Ledge felt something.

A sudden loss of power.

He had been so distracted by playing with Max that he hadn't even paid attention to what the Cybersquad or Echo was attempting to do.

1

Watching Ledge torture Max in that fashion – even if she wasn't herself anymore – was both painful and disgusting. While Matt rescued Digit from where he had fallen, Inez took a look around, massaging her stomach where Jackie had been forced her hit her earlier. Ledge's earlier words pounding in her head.

"_So, you've separated me from my medium. No matter. I have a much bigger medium."_

"_I have a much bigger medium."_

"_A much bigger medium."_

While Inez didn't understand the meaning behind the word "medium" she could guess it was a power source of some kind. The way Ledge's strength faltered when Max separated him from that strange-looking amulet. The amulet _had_ to be his medium. He even said so. So, what bigger medium could he possibly possess? She looked up.

"Guys! It's the Good Vibration!" Inez shouted pointing at the oversized, golden, tuning fork that provided balance and harmony to the Site.

"That's a big power source." Echo said.

"Indeed it is." Ada said. "Which is precisely why he was able to – to kill Matthias like that. How he's able to control Max like that, too."

They turned and was sickened by the sight. Ledge was bouncing Max off the ground like a child's plaything; a sick grin on his face.

"We have to stop him and fast. He'll kill her given the chance." Digit said.

"Come on, then!" Matt beckoned. With Digit still in his arms, he ran toward the mountain where the Good Vibration always stood. The girls had no choice but to follow suit.

Echo was the only one who stayed. She sat next to Ada and put her hands together, focusing on the amulet around her neck; trying to give Max the strength to fight back.

0

Up on the mountain the kids and Digit circled the entire perimeter of the Good Vibration; looking for something out of the ordinary. They had been there before and they were familiar with the area around it. They searched the edges of the Vibration's entire platform, checked the gold-inlaid symbols around the tuning fork's base, and even the top of the mountain itself.

"Hey, what's this?" Digit said.

He had hovered around the fork and worked his way down; taking great care to search every inch of it. He stopped when he spotted a white piece of sticky paper plastered just below the branches of the fork. The paper was covered in symbols and lines which sparked with bluish lightning.

"That looks like the same thing Master Pi used to bring Max back to life." Matt said. "Only it's different."

"Who cares if it's different?" Jackie snapped. "Let's just get it off there before Ledge does something even more horrible!"

Just as Jackie reached to grab the paper, a bolt of electricity grabbed her hand and tossed it aside. Jackie went momentarily rigid as her heart stopped for just a second.

"Jax! You alright?" Matt asked, grabbing her just before she could hit the ground.

"I'm fine." She said. "I just got a little jolt, is all."

Inez studied the page. "It looks like Ledge has done a few modifications to this page."

"Do you know anything about Alchemy?" Digit asked.

"No." Inez admitted. "But it looks like Ledge has added a safeguard to keep anyone from removing it. Including himself."

"There has to be a way to remove it." Matt said.

"Well, we had better figure something out." Digit said, looking down at the field.

"Why? What do you see?" Jackie asked.

Digit pointed and everyone went to take a look. All they saw was Max still suspended in mid-air only the ground underneath her was red and slick with blood. The liquid dripped off her paws and dribbled down her tail which – they realized in horror – was tucked up between her legs.

"What – what did he do to her?" Inez asked in horror.

"I – I think he stabbed her with her own tail." Digit said.

"That's disgusting." Jackie said, shaking. "We have to get that paper off there before he actually kills her."

"Allow me." Digit said.

He fluttered to the Good Vibration, braced his feet against the branches, and grabbed the paper. Immediately, the page sparked and spat, lightning grabbed at his wings and bit him. But Digit hung on. The number of times Max protected him flashing through his head. He owed Max this much. He owed Max the chance to live just like she had given him the chance numerous times before.

"Be careful, Didge!" Inez said.

Digit grunted with exertion, gritting his teeth against the pain and hoping against hope that his circuits wouldn't overload.

Finally, with a mighty tug, the page came away and the lightning stopped. Digit collapsed on the floor at the base of the Good Vibration and went still. The kids clustered around him and Matt put a hand to the faithful cyboid.

"He's not dead, is he?" Jackie asked.

"I don't think so. Just passed out." Matt said.

"Good. There's been enough death today." Inez said. "Come on, let's get back down there."

The others nodded and Matt scooped Digit up into his arms. Without another word, the three of them worked their way down the stairs to the battlefield.

1

Ledge felt suddenly weak. His core was no longer feeding off the Good Vibration's power. And, without it, he could feel Max straining against her invisible bonds.

_No!_ He thought, struggling to gain control. He had felt some resistance before, but this was different. This time, she really was straining against it and he couldn't stop what would happen next.

Max pushed against his power. A paw – the left one – and tore through him; ripping open his belly from right shoulder to left him like it was made of paper.

"SHIT!" Ledge screamed. He pooled as much power as he could and forced it into the circles on his palms, thrusting his opponent away; collapsing in pain as he did so.

Max landed on her back, but she immediately flipped over and darted across the yard toward him; roaring loudly as her blood-soaked paws churned up sand. Even though her tail – her source of balance – was out of commission and still lodged below her sternum, she still managed to run in a straight line; her wings spread to compensate for the missing piece.

"Nathan! Stop her but do not kill her!" Pi shouted in Vul'kahR.

The new Sword-Thane whipped out his two lightning sticks and, after pushing the button on the shafts, rushed to Max's side; matching her speed precisely. With a whirl, he tagged her in the side with the parking tip., Max was flung far off course, landing amidst the ferns. She righted herself – with few troubles – and came at him.

"Lok! Offensive magic! No lethal force! Go!" Pi ordered. "Use any Titans you think are necessary!"

Nathan showed no fear as he held the sparking sticks out at his dies, ready to intercept her. Before she could even reach him, a Kindlestrike spell hit her in the shoulder. She changed course and headed right for the other new Sword-Thane. Lok wasn't worried either. Instead, he invoked Dark Pharaoh and Anubian, all of whom rushed to the rescue of their Seeker. Dark Pharaoh let out bursts of black energy and Anubian attacked with light rays which Max somehow managed to avoid.

"Solomon! Avatar mode!" Pi shouted, seeing his two new Sword-Thanes were now in trouble.

Solomon nodded and yanked the staff out of his sheath. With a twist, the pole disconnected at the middle and he was left with a pole in each hand. Solomon activated the poles and switched to Avatar mode. After an impressive display of acrobatics, he sent a few blocks of earth in Max's direction; catching her in the shoulder and withers.

She stopped and ran toward Solomon who retaliated using a couple of water-whips. Max barely even flinched even as the liquid lashes hit her face and muzzle. Bloody paws flashing and kicking up dirt, mouth open, and pink eyes blazing.

Nathan spun, touched the tips of his lightning sticks together, and shot a small bolt of lightning at Max; catching her in the withers. Max was thrown head over claws, but no sooner had she righted herself than she was heading for Nathan.

"MAX! STOP!" Ada screamed. "PLEASE! STOP!"

She hadn't moved from her place near Marbles' body; cradling her beloved as though afraid to let go. She had never seen Max like this, even though she had heard much about a gargoyle's ferocity and how blood-thirsty they can be when threatened. But, hearing and seeing were two entirely different things. Ada knew that if this went on for too much longer, the warriors would have no choice but to use much more deadly force.

Max heard her but the gargoyle in her was still in complete control. Not even her cyborg side could recognize either her mother's voice or her own name. Just the voice alone caught the gargoyle's attention and she reversed course and headed right for them.

Echo, realizing Max was one a collision course of death with them, changed her position and threw up a translucent magical shield just as Max was upon them. Max's horns made contact with the shield and Echo winced at the impact. Max growled with rage and began pounding at it with her blood-stained paws and gnawing at it with her blood-stained teeth. Just then, Nathan was underneath her. He touched the tips of his lightning sticks together again and tagged Max in the stomach with them. She was thrown back and she landed on all fours. Without a moment's hesitation, she started for Nathan when a flash of movement caught her eye.

The Squad had just returned. Three, pitiful human kids with a pathetic looking bird. They were easy prey.

She pushed off and headed toward them. Jackie screamed, Inez grabbed Matt's arm, and Matt raised his hands to shield his face. Neither one of them saw the red-coated warrior jump in with his arms spread out . . . until it was too late.

Max collided with him, mouth open, and scooped him up in her maw. The warrior was wearing his heavy war-armor, but even that couldn't protect him from a gargoyle's seven-hundred pound bite pressure. The armor cracked and gave way to her teeth as she clamped down. The warrior grunted as her teeth met through him. But before he could begin screaming, she began shaking him like a rag doll until his joints cracked and his neck broke. The warrior died within moments of the attack.

Max dropped the dead warrior – dead prey wasn't near as interesting as live – and as she raised her head to regard the children still cowering her presence, they saw that she had changed. She had appeared possessed by a demon before she killed the warrior, but that was nothing compared to the new face she wore.

She had just killed someone . . . and she enjoyed it. There was a look of utter delight there. Like a kid enjoying an ice cream cone. She wanted more and the electrical taste of cyborgs wasn't enough. She could smell the warmth and the blood coming from the four humans in front of her, though they weren't injured, as well as from herself. The scent was so strong, she began to hunger for it. And she took a step toward them.

Just then, another warrior stepped in, holding a quarter-stave in both hands. The gargoyle stopped and glowered at the warrior. She wasn't interested in him anymore. He didn't smell good enough to eat. Not like those kids did, anyway. Why was he interrupting her? All she wanted was one bite! Just one! Or . . . maybe two. Perhaps four – one for each kid.

She braced herself, lips curling over reddened teeth. The maddened glare was back. Yet, the warrior, Jethro, wasn't afraid. He had fought against gargoyles before and he knew gargoyles could smell fear. He took a defensive stance, ready to die like his companion before him because he would not kill this gargoyle.

She took a step toward him and he swung out with his staff, catching her right down the center of her skull. The gargoyle took a step back and shook the ringing out of her head. She took another step toward him and he lashed out at her paw. She jumped back and waited for the pain to end. Jethro knew it was only a matter of time before she would choose to ignore the pain he was dishing out and start attacking regardless of his defensive strategies.

Indeed, Max had decided to ignore the pain. She braced herself, then charged. Jethro vaulted over her back and smacked her down the raised ridge with his stick. She skidded to a stop, rotated on her hind legs, and charged at him again. Jethro had been facing away from her, but he could hear her coming. Just before she reached him, he leaped high into the air and landed squarely on her neck.

Max growled roared angrily and began jumping around like a bull in PBR. Jethro hung on, grimly; his quarter-stave stretched across her throat and his knees were locked just beneath her wing-joints. Knowing the wings and tail _both_ provided direction, Jethro pulled on the left wing with his foot and she fell over right on top of him. The two wrestled for a while; Max trying to remove the rod from her neck and Jethro attempting to keep her from biting him.

"Master! Quickly now!" Jethro said, in Vul'kahR.

"One more minute!" Pi answered.

He knew Jethro didn't like fighting his student like that – he didn't like seeing Jethro fight Max like that, either – but they had no choice. Max had already killed, they couldn't let her kill more. She wouldn't stop until all of them – everyone – was dead.

Pi had rolled out a painted canvas on the ground and was kneeling on the ground with both hands on the outside of the circle. He had to concentrate and he had to concentrate hard. But the fighting, and the death of one of his warriors, was starting to make what he was planning to do all the more difficult. Without his concentration centered on the circle and the task at hand, Pi couldn't do it.

Just then, he felt a presence kneeling at the circle as well. Pi's eyes cut to the figure beside him and saw it was Lok.

"Let me help you, Master." Lok said.

Pi nodded, grateful for the aid of a Seeker as talented as Lok. "We need to incapacitate Max. Concentrate on the spell Bramblebind."

"Master, that could hurt her!" Lok said.

"Not this kind of Bramblebind. This is a special spell meant only to hold, not to hurt. I call it Vinebind."

Lok nodded and tried to think of a thorn-less Bramblebind. The visual was easier than he thought. All he had to do was picture Bramblebind and remove the thorns. As the picture formed in the forefront of his mind, Lok could feel the power to do it.

"VINEBIND!" Both magicians said.

Max had somehow managed to elbow Jethro in the ribs. Since Jethro hadn't expected for that to happen, he grunted in pain and released. She rolled off him and stood over him a minute. Jethro stared back, knowing those alien, ruby eyes would be the last thing he would ever see.

Just as Max reared up to strike at Jethro and disembowel him, thorn-less vines leaped out of the ground and wrapped themselves around Max, immobilizing her on the spot. She roared in frustration; wondering why everyone was so against her wanting to eat something.

Both the Seeker and Alchemist concentrated hard, pulling Max in a laying down position on the ground and bound her tight.

"Don't hurt her!" Digit screamed, having regained consciousness in time to see Vinebind.

"She is beyond feeling anything." Pi said.

From the folds of his robe, Pi pulled out a sheet of paper with a circle drawn across it. Then, after clapping his hands together and splaying his fingers out at the circle's middle, the ink rose up and spread itself up Pi's arm; tattooing him from wrist to elbow. Now he was ready.

"What are you planning to do?" Matt asked as he and the others approached.

"Stay back!" Pi firmly warned. "She saw her father die, this day. She knows not the difference between friend and foe."

"What does that mean?" Echo asked.

"It means she will kill you given the chance." Lok said, sadly. "This is the true face of a gargoyle at its most dangerous."

"That's right, it is." Ada said. She turned to the human who hadn't been around Max's gargoyle form enough to know much about it. "If she had been in her right mind, Max would not have come after us like that. Nor would she have killed the warrior."

"This is a face which will soon be amended." Pi aid.

Echo nodded and watched as Pi knelt by Max's side and put his tattooed hand over her heart. Blood still flowed from the open holes in her chest where Ledge had forced her to stab herself. Underneath the scales and thick sternum, he could feel her heart racing. The adrenaline-coated bullet was doing its job, just as Ledge said it would. Pi inhaled, raised his hand in a half-sign in front of his face, and closed her eyes.

"Everheal." He whispered.

The holes closed over and Max stopped panting.

Pi then moved to Max's ribs and examined the hidden barb now wedged beneath her sternum. "We will need to remove that tail before she can return to borg form."

"So do it!" Inez said.

"It's not so simple." Ada said. "A gargoyle's tail is barbed and the barbs are like fishhooks."

The kids flinched.

"Exactly." Pi agreed. "We will have to open her stomach to get it out." He stood up and nodded at one of the silent warriors, Jareb.

Jareb nodded in return and moved to Max's chest. He knelt and placed one hand over her sternum while drawing a knife with the other. The knife, in question, was long and thin with only one tapered edge. It had been made for one thing and one thing alone . . . to slit the belly of a gargoyle.

Red knelt next to Jareb and took Max's tail in both hands. As he pulled, the skin bulged where the sharp barbs were and Jareb took note of their location; nodding to Red in indication that he stop. Red let go and Jareb cut the skin starting from the tail and moving out. More blood flowed and Max's heart-rate slowed. She was losing too much blood too fast. But none were as prone to calm in a life and death situation like this. Jareb calmly set his knife aside, gripped the tail, and pulled.

The tail cleared the hole and Jareb quickly folded his hands over the seeping wound and applied pressure. Pi reached over and touched the skin right above the hole.

"Everheal." He whispered.

The holes sealed over and the blood stopped.

No sooner had Master Pi cast the healing spell across Max, than the gargoyle strained against Vinebind; muscles tightening and teeth gritted in frustration. Growls rumbled from deep in her throat and hissed from between her teeth. Pi, realizing what was happening, motioned everyone back with wide movements of his hands. Nobody argued with him and backed away as Vinebind broke, freeing her.

Max stood up and shook the thornless vegetation from her body; glaring at everyone around her as though trying to decide who to munch on first. Then, her eyes landed on Digit and took a step forward. Digit whimpered, too frightened to do much else as he was now transfixed by the cold, ruby stare.

"NO!" Echo shouted, rushing forward and seizing Max around the neck in what could only be described as a hug. "That's enough! Please, that's enough." She sobbed into the thick, white mane.

The gargoyle remained still, only visible eye now fixed on her. A growl of confusion rumbled through her. Echo raised her tear-stained face; vivid green met ruby. Echo saw no sign of Max there and was afraid there was nothing left of the girl who shared her pain.

"Please Max! Come back to me! You're not a monster and this isn't you! Please! If you can hear me, say something! Anything!" Echo begged.

A softer growl and the ruby eye softened some. A single tear streaked out of the corner of that eye and the light of familiarity returned.

Max shifted back and raised one paw which she placed on Echo's back. Echo flinched, waiting for the claws she expect to feel. She felt nothing, only the grainy pads and rough scales through her shirt. The gargoyle leaned back on her haunches and pulled the girl in close to her; the huge head now resting on Echo's shoulder. Suddenly, Max wasn't a gargoyle anymore, but a borg who was trembling with fear and confusion.

The two stood there, embracing each other. It was unclear who was crying more. Then, Max raised her head and spotted Marbles still laying on the ground. A scream escaped her mouth and she collapsed on the ground.

"He's gone! He's gone!" Max wailed, tears streaming openly down her face.

Pi drew her chin up until they were looking at each other. "Max, I can bring him back, I promise." He said.

"But, by now he's already crossed past the gates. In order to retrieve him, you would need something to equal his life." Lok said.

Pi turned to Lok and noticed hew as holding the Dominator Titan's amulet. He held his hand out.

"Give that to me." He ordered.

Wordlessly, Lok passed the amulet to his master. Pi took the amulet and touched Max on the top of her head. "Go to your father." Pi said. Then, to the Squad, Ada, and Echo, he said "You six join her."

"Master Pi, shouldn't I do it?" Echo asked. "I mean, I can pass the gates without paying a price."

"No. Matthias is my friend and max still needs him. I was the one who put her up to destroying The Hacker. This will be my price for her pain. A pain she struggled with daily." His dark eyes darted to a slowly dying Ledge, whose torn circuits would make what Pi was going to do all the more merciful. "Besides, I won't be going to the gates alone."

Echo nodded, though she didn't quite understand, and left to be near Max.

Pi approached Ledge and stood over him a minute. The young borg was barely breathing and his internal circuits were sparking as an acrid smoke issued from the four, long, jagged cuts.

"Come to kill me?" Ledge asked, leering through is pain.

"Not yet." Pi told him. "You're going to the gates with me."

"That is impossible." Ledge said, leer now gone. "I know you plan to exchange me for the life I've taken. But it cannot be done."

"Correction. It has never been attempted before. There were theories, but no one had ever tried acting on these theories. I believe it would work."

Ledge coughed. "It doesn't matter. I have accomplished what I set out to do: to hurt my enemy. Since physical pain seemed to do nothing, emotional was the way to go."

Pi frowned. Emotional pain was hard to overcome. Physical marks left or faded. But emotional pain created a scar much deeper than what can be healed. Max didn't deserve this. No one did.

"Ledge, son of Hieronymus Hacker, for your crimes against Cyberspace, and for your misuse of Alchemy, I sentence you to death. The death chosen for you will take place at the gates."

"Not going to happen." Ledge said. He touched his chest with one hand.

Pi knew what was coming and seized Ledge's hand and pulled it away. "It will happen, I cannot allow you to kill yourself while there is still good to come out of your mangy old hide."

Without waiting for a response, Pi hauled Ledge close to Marbles' body.

"KEEP THAT REPULSIVE THING AWAY FROM ME!" Max screamed.

"He will get his own." Pi said, gently.

He didn't both to use the circle-marked canvas because he did not need a point of focus this time. Instead, he knelt and placed one hand over Ledge's chest, and a hand over Marbles'.

"Findshape." he said, directing the spell at Marbles.

Immediately, the smoking holes where Enderflame had come in contact with Marbles, sealed over and the ruined circuits were repaired.

"I'll be back." Pi said to Max, who was weeping and sniffing. Ada and Echo were noth holding her. Everyone was crying, but Max was worse off.

Pi shut his eyes – closing himself off form the world – and went to the gates.

1

_The heavy gates were closed and there was no sign of Marbles' soul anywhere on the threshold. Lok was right, Marbles had crossed the gates._

"_Erasmus Pi!" The gates rumbled. "Dare you come again seeking something beyond your reach?"_

"_I want the soul of Dr. Matthias Marbles. Return him to me." Pi said, firmly._

_A soul cannot be returned without something equal to that being exchanged. Have you something for us?" The gates asked._

"_I have." Pi said. He thrust Ledge's battered body at the gates' inner threshold. "His life in exchange for Marbles'."_

_The gates pondered this a moment. Pi had been right. This sort of exchange had never been done before because no one dared contemplate the risks of such an exchange._

"_The soul that passed through here was pure and good. This one contains a soul dark and rotten. You will need more to complete the transaction." The gates finally said. "Do you intend to give us yourself as well?"_

"_No. There is much left for me to do." Pi said. "But I do have this." He held up the amulet Lok had given him. Dominator did not belong in Cyberspace anymore anyway._

_Pi could feel the gates' surprise. "A Titan amulet!"_

"_Will this be enough?" Pi demanded._

"_The amulet, alone, should be enough. Yet, you offer a soul as well. Yu are giving more than what you will receive."_

"_That is where you are wrong." Pi said._

"_Oh?"_

"_The soul I am seeking is a father – a greatly loved man and a respected person – to one of my warriors. She weeps for him now. Bringing him back would set her at so much ease. You would be doing me a huge service by releasing him back to me."_

_The gates pondered this. Emotional turmoil alleviated _and_ a soul returned in exchange for another soul and a Titan._

"_Very well, then." They said._

_The gates opened and dozens of eyes peered at them. Black hands reached out and seized Ledge; hauling him, shrieking, into the darkness. Another hand came out and plucked the amulet from Pi's hand. Then, with a bang, the gates closed._

_Pi waited, then cleared his throat. "Matthias' soul?" he said._

_The gates grumbled – they disliked giving up anything as precious as life – then opened again; thrusting out the soul that had been requested. Matthias stood at the inner threshold, stunned by the presence of the much older borg. Pi was surprised Matthias was even able to recognize him as the gates tended to wipe the memories of all who passed to make their deaths more peaceful._

"_Erasmus! What are you doing here?"_

"_Returning you to your daughter." Pi said. "Max needs you now."_

"_Max?" Matthias said, sounding the name out loud, his face twisting quizzically. Apparently, the gates had already started wiping memories, particularly those pertaining to his family._

"_Remember Max?" Pi asked him. "Your pride and joy?"_

_Marbles remembered and crossed the threshold to him. "Take me to her."_

_Pi took Marbles' hand and withdrew back to Shangri-La._


	18. Honoring the Fallen

_Chapter eighteen. here it is. i'm pretty sure some of you have been waiting anxiously for it. it was going to be a little longer than this but i really needed to cut it in half. not because_ somebody_ was getting antsy about reading it, but because the last part of this chapter (before i cut it in half) didn't really fit with the title anymore. i have to warn you, next chapter is going to have an eerie atmosphere. or you can describe it how you will but there it is. also, don't request for chapters to be posted. i work on chapters as the ideas come to me and i post them when i can as soon as they're finished. not any sooner. i'm not mad, just a word of warning._

_**Page count check:** 236.  
_

_I don't own Cyberchase_._ Max is mine. Echo belongs exclusively to Kawaii Stella and her story Picking up the Broken Glass. I should probably also mention that Lok is not mine. the transmutation circle and the laws of Equivalent Exchange belong to FullMetal Alchemist.  
_

* * *

Chapter Eighteen  
Honoring the Fallen

In Echo's plane, everything seemed fairly normal at the orphanage on Sensible Flatts. The orphans lazed around as their caretaker, Ms Abigail Truehart, took to flaunting her "beauty" to every single male she came across that day.

Ledge, a humanoid who deeply resembled the borg who had tortured Max and also shared the same name, lounged on the base of a slide in the play yard; picking a green leaf apart bit by bit as he waited for his counterpart to contact him on the success of his self-imposed mission. Ledge frowned as he looked up at the sky and noticed the sun had moved a few spaces since he came out to the yard and _still_ the other Ledge hadn't contacted him yet. The small, mirror in his pocket remained silent. And Ledge was growing impatient.

_Where is he? That bastard should have contacted me by now!_ He thought, angrily throwing the leaf away.

"Ledge? Is everything all right?" Asked one of the girls he was known for hanging out with.

"Everything's fine." Ledge said, trying to keep his voice even and failed bitterly.

The girl gave him a quizzical look but decided against asking for more details. She went back to doing whatever-the-hell she was doing before he had so rudely interrupted her.

_He was supposed to let me know if that mangy borg is dead yet. Where is Echo? Why hadn't he contacted me about her yet?_ Ledge thought.

Just then, a sharp pain running from left shoulder to right hip suddenly interrupted him. Ledge jumped up and grabbed his chest; gritting his teeth in agony. Eyes streamed with pain-filled tears. He was unable to stop the gasp or choke back further noises.

"Ledge!" Samantha shrieked. She made as though to grab him but he shoved her roughly aside and stumbled into the orphanage.

Ledge made his way to the bathroom he shared with the other boys in the orphanage, stripping off his shirt once the door was locked. After a few minutes, he was finally able to look at himself in the full-length mirror hanging behind the main door.

Four, angry-looking, red lines trailed his chest from shoulder to hip. Tiny pinpricks of blood flowered over the length of those lines and Ledge hissed with pain.

_Where did these come from?_ He wondered. They came so suddenly it was like they had just happened! But, when did it happen? How did it happen? Why did he feel like something just tried to disembowel him?

_That's because something did. Not to you. But to the other Ledge._

Ledge straightened up. The thought put a new expression on his face. One of loathing. _So, the other Ledge is dying. Good riddance._

Just as the thought entered his mind, something else happened. Ledge screamed and grabbed both sides of his head in his hands; crouching as close to the floor as his pride would allow. His heart clenched and Ledge's mouth filled with blood. He ran to the nearest toilet as quickly as his crouched form would allow and spat up the thick, slimy, iron-tasting liquid. Suddenly, it stopped. The pain, the vomiting, even the lines had vanished, leaving four pale scars on his body.

_So, he's dead. Good riddance._ Ledge thought. He flushed the toilet, grabbed his shirt and put it on, then left the bathroom.

1

Marbles' eyes were open when he died. The sensation of coming to life was a strange one, like macular degeneration in reverse. He inhaled sharply and coughed; sand blowing away from his mouth. Then, he sat up.

Max let out a shaky breath of relief, tore away from Ada and Echo, and collapsed against her father; hugging him so tightly, he was sure she would never let him go. He gathered her up in his arms and held her just as tightly. He had no intention of letting her go either.

No one said a word for the longest time. Then, Ada leaned into them. Marbles looked at her as though noticing her for the first time, before releasing her and grabbing Ada by the elbow.

"Before anything else happens . . ." Marbles began.

Ada blinked, waiting for him to continue. "Yes, Matthias?" She said when he faltered. "What is it?"

Marbles reached into the pocket of his jeans, gently sifting his grip on Max so he was still holding her but so that one hand was free, and pulled out a small, black box.

"Lady Ada Lovelace . . . will you marry me?" Marbles said.

Ada clasped both hands to her face. "Yes, Matthias. Of course I will." She said. "I thought you would never ask."

"Neither did I." Max commented.

Everyone chuckled, including Echo who was aware of the history her Marbles and Ada had with each other. But, aside from that, Max noticed that everyone was looking apprehensively at her. She looked around, wondering why everyone's eyes were so wary. Then, she saw _it_.

Max saw the mangled corpse of a warrior on the field. She let out another shriek. "No! Mattimeo!"

Before anyone could stop her, she ran and collapsed against him; observing the tooth marks and broken joints. The horror of what she was seeing hurt her as she knew what sort of monster could have caused this.

"Master, tell me I didn't do this." She said.

"You mean you don't remember?" Matt asked.

"Matt, you're not helping." Inez said.

"To answer your question, Matthew, she would not remember." Pi said. "Gargoyles cannot be held responsible for what they do. They are known for attacking when they feel threatened. Max had every reason to feel that way, because she was threatened and so was the people around her." He turned to his grief-stricken Shield-maiden. "Now for your question. You cannot be held responsible for what has happened. It was not your fault. Mattimeo stepped in – sacrificing himself for the Cybersquad. You are not to blame."

"But I killed him!" Max said.

"He knew you would, but he let you do it." Pi corrected. "Do not blame yourself. Blame the evil one who forced you to commit these atrocities."

Max nodded and wiped her eyes. She touched Mattimeo's chest with both hands, then raised her hands and swept them in half circles around her face before folding them in prayer.1 Nobody said a word as Max laid her head against the fallen warrior's chest. She shut her eyes and words began pouring out of her mouth. It took the outsider crew a while to realize she was praying in Vul'kahR. The entire site was silent and still as they waited for her to finish. Finally, she sat up, wiped her eyes again, and stared at Mattimeo's peaceful features.

"Dad." She said. "I want to make a son. And I want to name him Mattimeo after my friend. And I want you to be there when he's born."

Marbles smiled. "I would like that very much."

Master Pi nodded reprovingly. "I think that would be a wise choice."

"Thank you, Master." Max said, inclining her head to him.

"And, if he so chooses, we would be willing to take him and teach him how to be a warrior, just like his predecessor." Pi added.

"I would like that very much. Perhaps he will be gifted in Mattimeo's art and you will, indeed, have a place for him." Max said.

"Gifted?" Matt asked. "What do you mean by gifted?"

"Each warrior has a special talent they can provide the rest of the faction. Each warrior is also granted a certain amount of leeway for their gifts. My gifts - aside from being an ass - is Hapkido and being a technological genius. Since Shangri-La has no use for a technological genius, Master Pi and I agreed that I should be a shape-shifter. Now, I'm beginning to see what a mistake that was." Max said.

"I do not think it was a mistake." Pi said.

"Of course _you_ don't." Max retorted. Then, when she realized who she said it to, she immediately uttered an apology to Pi in Vul'kahR. Pi nodded his understanding. "What I meant was, you gave me the ability. You were the one who suggested it. I accepted because I liked the thought of being able to shift to and from gargoyle."

"I suggested it because I felt your gift would be a great service to us." Pi said.

"Yeah. Some service it was." Max said, sarcastically. "I kill a warrior and I start craving humans."

"Do you actually remember that?" Echo asked.

"No, but there is that distinct possibility." Max answered.

"Max, if you so desire, I will relieve you of this gift." Pi said. He already had a hand on the top of her head.

Max was stunned when she realized she was truly considering it. She pulled away. "No. Please, leave it. This is my gift and my curse. I will temper it to my own ability. But I do have one request."

"Name it." Pi said.

"Don't turn my boy into a shape-shifter."

Pi smiled. "I believe Shangri-La has room for only one shape-shifter at a time. Especially one like you."

Max narrowed her eyes at her teacher. "Are you saying I'm tough to handle?"

Pi's smile deepened. That was one reason why he liked Max. No matter how tough the situation was, she somehow always managed to fit in a joke or start speaking sarcastically just to take the edge off. It was her defense mechanism. While it was annoying to some, it told Marbles, Ada, and Pi she was starting to come out of her shell.

"Not at all." He motioned to Mattimeo's corpse then nodded to the warriors; speaking to them in Vul'kahR. "Mattimeo will be given a hero and warrior's funeral. I ask that you do attend, Max."

"Of course, Master." Max said, looking as though she would be offended by anything less. "I wouldn't dream of doing anything else."

The warriors stepped forward and carefully bore Mattimeo to their shoulders. Lok and the others followed suit but only Max remained behind. She would join them later.

Lok hadn't gone with the warriors just to help prepare Mattimeo for burial, but because he had a question he wanted to pose to Master Pi. A question that burned him since giving his master the amulet. Lok wanted so much to understand Pi's reasoning but, somehow, couldn't find the words to say.

"Is there a problem?" Pi said, gently; slowing his progression toward the Temple of Care so his "stride" matched Lok's.

"Master." Lok said, feeling a beginning to his question. "I don't understand. Why did you send Dominator through the gates? Wouldn't it have been better to lock it away somewhere?"

Pi shook his head. "We tried that once, Lok, and someone stole it from us. We had even tried erasing Dominator from history and, yet, his existence was already known by one who should not have known about him. No, Lok. It is better for Dominator not to exist in this life."

Lok nodded. Then, he thought about King Basilisk and his destructive powers as compared to Dominator's. Reaching into his pocket, Lok pulled out the amulet.

"Master, I want you to give this to the gates, as well."

Pi cocked his head. "In exchange for what? There is nothing beyond those gates you could possibly want. Besides, Dominator was evil meant for evil intentions. King Basilisk can be influenced by either pole whereas Dominator can only be influenced by evil poles. King Basilisk is safe with you. Keep it with you."

Lok nodded, relieved Pi thought he was able to control it. But, something was still bothering him.

"Master, I used this Titan to take a life. Does this mean I am evil?"

Pi smiled at the young boy. "Of course it doesn't, Lok. The fact it upsets you so is proof that you are good. You are only evil if you take a life and feel nothing for doing so."

"Will I feel compelled to kill again?"

"Possibly."

"I hope not."

Pi placed a hand on Lok's shoulder. "I, too, hope the same."

Lok suddenly remembered Ledge's mangled corpse. He stopped and Pi paused. "Master, what about Ledge? What will we do with him?"

Pi suddenly looked very serious. "We will dispose of his body as we have disposed of many rogue-Alchemists in the past. But first, I want to see how he managed to learn the art so quickly. And where his source of power really came from."

"You mean you're going to dissect him." Lok said, flatly. It was no question, but Pi still treated it as one.

"There isn't much to dissect." Pi said. "Max did a very good job opening him up for me. As soon as the warrior, Mattimeo, is taken care of, Ledge will also be taken care of."

Lok flinched just thinking about Max and the damage her gargoyle claws had been able to inflict. He unconsciously put a hand to his own shoulder, realizing just how close he – and the others – had come to dying this day.

"Master, I'm glad we could have stopped Max today." Lok said. "But, would she have really killed us all?"

Pi nodded, gravely. "You are young and you know not the true strength of a gargoyle yet. Yes, Max would have killed us all. Mattimeo had just proven it. If we had not intervened, the more Max killed, the more she would have desired to kill. A rogue, blood-thirsty gargoyle is a danger to all of Cyberspace. No matter how you look at it, we would have been forced to destroy her."

"Destroy her? But -" Lok began.

Pi interrupted. "In that state, she wasn't herself anymore. She recognized nobody as friend or foe. Killing her would have been more merciful."

Lok nodded with understanding. Though he still didn't agree that killing Max would have been better or more merciful.

"If we hadn't stopped her, who would have been responsible for doing so?" Lok asked.

"If we had not stopped her, CSCP would be the ones stepping in." Pi answered. "Our method would have been more merciful. CSCP's method is to contain an offender – especially a gargoyle – until the verdict comes in, then introduce them to a lethal cocktail which takes minutes if not hours to completely stop the heart. We would have given her a direct shot to the heart with a blade, killing her instantly. Either way, she would have been killed."

"I don't think I like either method. Killing Max the gargoyle . . . wouldn't that have also killed Max the borg, too?"

"Absolutely."

"But, Max the borg was innocent! She didn't even know she was doing any of this! Shouldn't they have considered that?"

"They wouldn't consider that. The only thing they would know is that Max is a gargoyle, and the only thing they would understand – if she managed to kill all of us – is that she annihilated an entire Site's inhabitants. In her gargoyle form, there is no proof she had ever been a borg. She wouldn't even be able to tell them her side of the story because by the time CSCP got a hold of her, she would've been too far gone to talk to anybody."

"Okay, but if she was killed, wouldn't she have reverted back to borg?"

"I don't know. This isn't something that has been attempted before. True, there was a shape-shifter before Max, but never a borg who could turn into a gargoyle at their choosing. The shape-shifter before Max was a different Cyber-beast, to begin with and he died from old age, not because of crimes against Cyberspace."

"I see. So, there is the possibility she would have retained gargoyle form, even in death."

"Yes."

"That's not very comforting."

"Then, think about this a minute, Lok. Be glad we were able to stop her from killing anyone other than Mattimeo. And, especially, be glad we were able to turn her back into a borg."

Lok nodded. He liked that scenario much better than the previous one.

0

Max stayed kneeling on the grass and watched them leave. Pi left, too, to help prepare Mattimeo for his final dressing. Marbles approached and put his hands on Max's shoulders; squeezing her with as much comfort as he could.

"I'm sorry about Mattimeo, Max." He said.

"Yeah. So am I." Max said, rising and staring out across the practice field where she used to spar with Mattimeo.

"Who was he to you?" Echo asked.

"T'hai'la." Max said.

They listened to their translators a minute. Then, Inez went up to Max and squeezed her elbow.

"He was your friend." She repeated, softly.

"Sort of. T'hai'la is used loosely in Vul'kahR. It means friend, lover, life-long companion, blood brother or sister. I could very well have called him Jup – which means friend in KulG'GahR. But as that expression is never used, T'hai'la is better off."

"I see." Jackie said. "So, that warrior was a close friend of yours."

"So to speak." Max said. "He was one of the first – besides Red – to accept me, an outsider alien to their order. Only, unlike Red and Master Pi, Mattimeo didn't see me as a foreigner. He saw me as an interesting 'specimen'. He learned English just by listening to me and we could actually converse with each other without fear of alienating one another. Or even offending each other. He was the only brother I am willing to claim because he didn't see what everyone else saw on the outside. He was looking at my core." Max looked back at her father. "His namesake will have the same qualities."

"I'm not sure that's possible, Max." Marbles said.

"Why not?" Matt asked.

Marbles sighed. "I'm sure Max has already explained the procedure when it comes to making cyborgs, robots, and the like, right?"

"She did a while ago, yes." Inez answered.

Echo shook her head and they immediately launched into a full-fledged explanation on the process. Once they were finished, Ada started from there.

"Once the body is finished, all that remains is a process known as 'copy-transfer'. All that entails is taking any knowledge from your mind, duplicating it, and storing it inside the body's RAM. However, while that is a useful feature, there is also a small side-effect. The personality of the cyborg from whom the memories are coming from is also lodged inside the RAM."

"Which explains why Max is so much like me. Stubborn. Thick-headed. Impulsive." Marbles added.

"Hieronymus picked up some of those traits, too." Max said.

"Yes, but he also somehow got an inflated ego. I have no idea where that even came from." Marbles said.

"Dad, you do have an ego. Whether or not you realize it, you do have one."

"Max!" Marbles warned.

"We all have an ego." Max added, not willing to back down. "For Hieronymus, the egotistical side of your personality just became a little more . . . noticeable."

"Noticeable?" Echo said.

"Okay, so maybe I'm looking for . . . exaggerated." Max reiterated.

"That sounds like a better term."

"I'm glad you think so."

"So, which personalities have been exaggerated with you?" Marbles said.

"I think I out-stubborn you." Max answered.

"Quite possibly." Marbles said with a smile. "And, what about you're compulsive need to be the hero all the time?"

"That's not a compulsive need, nor do I feel like I need to be the hero." Max countered. "I'm just looking out for people I care about. Particularly you. Because _you_ always seem to get into more trouble."

"At least I haven't been nearly killed four times in my life."

"No, you've just been nearly killed once." Max pointed out.

"Wait, what?" Echo asked.

"I was hooked up to a monster named Gigabite during Hacker's reign of terror." Marbles said. "If it wasn't for the Cybersquad, I would have been nothing but a shell, Max would have gone on a rampage, and Motherboard would have been destroyed." He sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck. "Not one of my favorite moments."

"Nor mine." Max said. "If I had known where he was and what he was up to, I would have stormed the castle, eaten the generator, dumped him in the moat, and taken you on my back to a far away place."

"That doesn't surprise me." Marbles said. "Although, if you had **'eaten the generator'**, as you had so eloquently put it, I'm pretty sure you would not have survived."

"Yeah, I didn't think about that."

"Wait, what?" Echo repeated.

"Electricity is deadly to gargoyles." Max said.

"You were a gargoyle then?" Echo asked Max.

"I was a gargoyle for eight-and-one-half years." Max answered. "Hieronymus' reign of terror started about four years ago. So, yeah, I was a gargoyle then, too."

"So, wait, if electricity is so deadly to a gargoyle, then why did you seem to be so immune to it when Ledge, Lok, and the other Thane were defending everyone with electrical attacks?" Matt asked.

Max blinked. "They were?"

Marbles also blinked. "They were!?"

"You don't remember?" Matt added.

"I think we've already established she wouldn't remember anything during that time." Ada said.

"If they had, they were probably low-powered attacks, meant only to distract or give me minor injuries." Max said. She ran her fingers through her untidy brown hair. "So . . . what all happened?"

"You tried to eat Echo and me." Ada said.

"You did?" Marbles said looking at Max.

"I was upset! You had just died!" Max said, defensively.

"You tried to eat the Cybersquad." Ada said.

"Seriously?" Marbles said, still looking at Max.

"I was upset! You had just died." Max said, gritting her teeth against possible accusations.

"Oh, and you had a wrestling match with a warrior." Ada told her.

Neither Max nor Marbles made a response to that. At least, not right away. Max's eyes cut to her mother. "Was it a tall, red-coated warrior with a quarter-stave?"

"Yes." Echo said. "Why? Do you know him?"

"I know all the warriors of Shangri-La, both by face and by name. For an outsider, that is impossible, but I had been with them for three years. I know their individual fighting styles, their gifts and talents, and I had sparred with them while in training. I spent a lot of time with each one.

"When in the presence of outsiders, the warriors are known for not letting them see their strengths and limitations. They do not even carry weapons – this is to provide the illusion of unity and to confuse the enemy. This event is different. However, my time with them has only strengthened my knowledge of who each of them are.

"The warrior who wrestled with me was one of my teachers. In fact, in the first two-and-one-half years of training, he was my only teacher. He was my Hapkido instructor. His name is Jethro."

"Who was the one who surgically removed your tailbarb?" Matt asked.

Max regarded Matt, barely able to control the tremor of pain and disgust showing on her face. "Did Ledge stab me with it?"

"Yes. You don't -" Matt began.

Max clamped a hand over his mouth. "We've established I don't remember anything at that time. Don't ask that question again."

"Okay." Matt mumbled into her palm.

Max removed her hand and pressed it to her belly. "If I was, indeed, stabbed with my own tail barb, then their only option would have been to surgically remove the barb by cutting the area around it open. If there was a lot of bleeding, they wouldn't have time to sedate me to remove it like they normally would. Which means . . . Oh God!" She suddenly turned away, disgusted.

"What?" They asked.

"Which means -" Max covered her mouth to stop from vomiting. "They would've required the assistance of Jareb. He taught me knife-throwing and he's wickedly fast with a knife. He can cut the ear off a cyber-tiger without the creature even knowing. He can cut the wing off a butterfly and it'll fly for a few cybermiles before falling apart. Removing a tail barb from the belly of a gargoyle is no easy task, but it's a piece of cake for someone like Jareb."

"I see." Inez said. "But, you were too far gone to feel anything, right? So, why would Jareb be responsible for removing the barb?"

"Because they weren't willing to take the chance that I would come back and feel it. The other warriors – Red, Garrett, Jethro – they're all pretty good with a blade. But even they aren't willing to use their art on a living thing that's still conscious. Jareb was the better choice." Max said.

"So, who made the repairs on you when you showed up disfigured?" Digit asked.

"Master Pi was one of them." Max said. "As for the others, I think Garrett and Red were among some of them. Matt -" She faltered on the other warrior's name; swallowing hard before continuing. "- Mattimeo was one of them too. They kept me pretty well sedated before, during, and after – only a couple hours afterward – the surgery."

Echo was the only one who was confused on the subject. Marbles noticed and gently elbowed her in the arm. _"I'll show you pictures when we get back to Control Central."_

Echo nodded, but there was a curious expression on her face, as one who would rather not look at pictures of deformed beasts being repaired.

"So, what do we do now?" Jackie asked.

"_You_ three need to return to earth, Echo needs to return to her plane, Mom, Dad, and Digit need to go back to Control Central, and I need to stay here . . . for Mattimeo's funeral." Max said, firmly looking at each individual in turn. Then, her eyes rested on her father. "Dad, when I get back, I wanna talk to you about the process of making life."

"Okay, Max." Marbles said. "But, does it need to be done _now_? After everything that's happened, shouldn't you wait until everything calms down?"

"I am going to wait before jumping in. I just want to learn the process while I can." Max said.

"Very well." Marbles said after a moment of silence. "How soon will you be back?"

Max shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe tonight. Perhaps not until a couple of days. Don't wait up for me. Just gather whatever info you have on the subject and leave it out for me to see."

Marbles sighed. "Okay, honey." He said. He held his arms out to her and she went to him embracing him around the middle like a child who wanted to be held. They squeezed each other, then Marbles planted a kiss on her forehead. "Just don't make any plans until all of this is truly in the past."

"I won't, Dad." Max said. She smiled, glad he was alive so she could call him that to his face again. "I think I'll wait a couple years before my son is born."

Marbles scowled. "You're going to make me a grandfather before my time."

Max shot him an "oh whatever!" look that turned Marbles' scowl into a smile. There was the girl he knew and loved, not the mopey thing she had been earlier; clinging to him as though expecting for him to be wrenched from her again. He ruffled her hair, then pushed the button on his locator. A portal swirled to life and everyone except for Max stepped inside and vanished.

* * *

1 She touched Mattimeo's chest with both hands, then raised her hands and swept them in half circles around her face before folding them in prayer. - Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan, Farscape.


	19. The Ultimatum

_Chapter__ nineteen. you're going to hate me when you're done reading this. I'm pretty sure you will. Now that I've posted this chapter, I really need a hiatus. I don't have any more ideas except for bits and pieces here and there. Also, i need to focus on my other fanficts which have, thus far, been neglected. I'm sorry ;.; Okay, this chapter actually played around in my head so much, I actually dreamed of the bullet-extraction scene and was half-awake when i started thrashing. Even Pi's conversation with Max was in there. also, this chapte was actually going to be in the last chapter. but, i decided to split them in half and title this one differently from the last. the title says it all.  
_

_Anyway, I have ideas for a sequel saga involving Max's kid. . . . or kids. I don't want to start on that yet because I have other unfinished stories that really need to be done: Hoshi's Legacy; X-Men Evolution; Pokemon (that one might be deleted). So far, it will be called _Cyberchase: Paths of Life Saga. _They will be 1 pov, with book 1 taken from Mattimeo's viewpoint._

_Okay. Legend._ Underline: Titles or text messages. _Italics: thoughts or emphasis on a subject or thing.__  
_

_**Page count check:** 253. Will we make it to 300? probably.  
_

_I don't own Cyberchase_._ Max is mine. Echo belongs exclusively to Kawaii Stella and her story Picking up the Broken Glass. I should probably also mention that Lok is not mine. the transmutation circle and the laws of Equivalent Exchange belong to FullMetal Alchemist.  
_

* * *

Chapter Nineteen  
The Ultimatum

Marbles wasted no time looking for the photo album he and Ada had spent weeks putting together. The warriors had been kind enough to allow for the two technicians to capture screen shots of their memories while a badly-deformed Max was in their care – Shangri-La did not have any cameras present for photos to be taken and Marbles wanted a record of the first-only procedure which gave Max her robotic limbs.

The two borgs, along with the humans and the cyboid, entered Marbles' workshop where he mounted the workstation and pulled down the album.

"Enjoy." He said, as he pulled down books on making cyborgs and dug around in his filing cabinet for the plans he had discovered prior to making his "son" and daughter.

Inez sat on the stool and opened the album to the first page. She clapped a hand to her mouth as she saw the collage of pictures showing Max's battered body in the snow at the foot of the Bellowing Hills. Snow turned crimson around her and she didn't even look alive.

"That's how they found her." Ada said. "At that time, they didn't even know it was her. Shangri-La has a good relationship with the gargoyles of Cybersite Wyvern. They were willing to treat her regardless of who and what she was. It wasn't until that evening that we were called in to start the repairs."

In the pages that followed, there were pictures of Ada, Marbles, and Ephraim making the plans and building the various parts. The pictures were subtitled to make it easier to figure out what was going on:

Joint Cuff- leg, Joint Cuff- arm, Arm and paw- half-finished.

The more fascinating of the pictures was of Ephraim constructing the prosthetic eye and the patch to cover the missing skin and bone on her face. In those pictures, it was easy to appreciate Ephraim and his artistic ability to make something so delicate using jeweler's tools and a magnifying glass. The delicateness his hunched form displayed as he carefully worked the tiny wires into their individual sockets, tightening the miniature screws, the fitting the hollow shell around the miniscule constructs.

In the next few pages, there were pictures of Max now fully repaired and fitted with prosthetic body parts. What the parts didn't cover, however, exposed small, paling lines stretching over her face, shoulder, withers, chest, and stomach. The end result was both creepy and a little frightening. But not near as frightening as Max without prosthetics wanting to kill everyone.

"She looks so . . . calm in this picture." Echo said, tapping the image of Marbles reclining against Max's belly.

"Oh, she was. In those days, she wasn't the monster everyone painted her out to be." Ada said.

"And now?" Matt asked.

Marbles sighed, not looking up from the books he was marking with small, colored flags as references to what Max was looking for. "Her identity as shape-shifter is not well-known in Cyberspace. Until recently, I hadn't even known about it. Then, I accidentally came across a security tape of her in the Holo-dome practicing acrobatics as a gargoyle. I almost plunged Control Central into a total lock down before I realized it was her."

"Why didn't she tell you about it?" Jackie asked. "It wouldn't have scared you if she had."

"Max didn't tell me a lot of things when she came back. Most of it was about her killing Hacker. I wanted her to talk to me about it but I knew better than to push her. She can get rather nasty if she's pushed into a direction she doesn't like."

"I bet." Matt said. "Just thinking about what she almost did to us today . . . I still can't believe we made it out of there unscathed."

Marbles actually looked up. "Speaking of escaping unscathed, who stopped Max from killing everyone?"

All fingers pointed at Echo who was looking, sheepishly, at the ground.

"You did?" Marbles said in surprise. "How – you didn't touch her, did you?"

"I hugged her." Echo said, knowing what was coming.

"Echo, that was really really brave of you but it was also really really stupid." Marbles said. "I'm not saying you're stupid, but Max could have chewed you in half."

"She was about ready to kill Digit!" Echo said, defensively. "Someone had to do something! I did the only thing I thought would work! And it did!" She took a breath, trying to relax. "I knew it was stupid and I knew she could kill me. But I didn't want her to kill anymore. I just couldn't stand it anymore. I knew she had to be lost and scared somewhere in there. I wanted to find her and bring her back. That's all I was thinking about. I just wanted to bring her back."

Silence fell across the room. Everyone was looking at the red-headed Highlander who had, essentially, saved all of them from Max's brutality.

Marbles approached and touched her on the head. "I understand, Echo. Thank you for bringing her back to me."

Echo smiled. "You're welcome."

1

Max collapsed on the ground and stared at the spot where they had been only moments before. She suddenly felt very much alone, now, with only the mangled corpse of Ledge as company.

_Ledge!_

The name hissed through her teeth and her eyes suddenly focused on him. In her mind, Ledge had gotten off far too easily for his crimes. Hacker's death had equaled that to what he had done. But Ledge had done far more than Hacker ever had. Despite their relation, Ledge had been smarter and more dangerous than Hacker in many ways.

Even though Max and Hacker were never meant to be brother or sister, nor did they ever consider each other to be family, during his reign of terror, Max had been able to tease and screw with him just like she would a brother. And she knew she could get away with it. Hacker, for all his brains, was no more dangerous than an earthworm. His plans always went awry because of his ego, and he never thought anything through well enough. Though Max hated Hacker for everything he had done to herself, Motherboard, her father, Digit, and everyone in Cyberspace, she found she hated Ledge more.

Hacker's crimes against Motherboard and all Cyber-citizens was nothing compared to what Ledge had done to Max and to Marbles. He had turned Max into a monster, bent solely on destroying everything in sight. While she knew that it was he who had pulled the strings that drove her into madness, Max still couldn't help but blame herself for Mattimeo's death.

_Mattimeo's death._

Max's hands clenched into fists. She gritted her teeth harder and closed her eyes to stem the tears that threatened to show. Ledge might have turned her into a monster, but it was still her fault Mattimeo had to die like that. True, he shouldn't have jumped in like that, even just to protect four pitiful humans and a kookie cyboid. But it was her teeth, the seven-hundred pound jaw-pressure, and the torque in her neck that killed him. Her teeth had cut through his armor and him like a knife through butter; severing connections, breaking circuit boards, CPU, and crushing roto-motors.

_Yes. Mattimeo is dead because I let that monster come out._

She suddenly wished Ledge was still alive – that Master Pi hadn't given him to the gates. She wanted him alive so she could break him, chew on him, shake him like a ragdoll – just like she imagined doing to Mattimeo – and kill him over and over again. She wanted Master Pi to give him immortality – she wasn't sure if that was even possible but it sounded good to her – just so she could dish out every pain and suffering he had given everyone else. She wanted to break him and have him healed so she could do it over and over again until he begged for death. But she would only kill him on her own time. Not his. Just like he had done everything in his own time, so she would do in hers. She wanted to see _him_ hang from the Steel Crucifix while the acid ate away at _his_ circuits. She wanted to leave out the ROM-IP as well and watch the pain form on his face and listen to his screams as he slowly died.

Yes, that's what she wanted. But it was too late. Too late for any of those plans to take form. If only – if only Master Pi _hadn't_ traded Ledge and Dominator for Marbles. If only -

_Wait! What the hell am I thinking? I don't actually want that, do I?_

The thought stunned her to tears.

"Max."

She looked over her shoulder at the young warrior standing behind her. The broad sword across his shoulder announced him as Levi. But, he looked different. Levi looked older. Then, she noticed the half-formed fu-man-chu on his lip and knew he was progressing fully into a Plain Warrior.

"Yes, Levi?" Max asked, addressing him in Vul'kahR. "What is it?"

"Master Pi wishes you to report to the Temple of Care." Levi said, his voice gentle but firm.

Max knew it was more of an order than a request. Although Levi did not have the authority to give out orders to a Shield-maiden, his words carried the full weight of an order from Master Pi. Max knew Pi had done more than wish for her to report to the temple. He had made it clear she was to report to the temple whether she wanted to or not. She did wonder, though, how Mattimeo could've been prepared for burial so soon. It wasn't time yet, was it?

"Alright. I'll be there in a little while." Max said. "You may go ahead without me."

"Apologies." Levi said. If he was nervous about what he was going to say next, he never let it show. "I am to escort you there."

_So, I am to be treated as a prisoner._

Max rose and approached Levi. "Mattimeo's funeral . . . it's not to take place _now_, is it?"

Levi shook his head. "No, Shield-maiden Max. You are being summoned to have the bullet removed."

_The bullet?_

Then, Max remembered. She remembered Ledge levelling the gun at her that only started the chain of events leading up to her rogue state. The burn of the magnetite forcing her to desire the gargoyle form more and more, but also making her reluctant to take the form knowing now the adrenaline involved.

She stopped in her tracks, trying to remember everything leading up to her rogue state. She remembered stubbornly screaming "I won't do it!" at Ledge. She remembered watching her human friends twisting like puppets on invisible strings while Ledge manipulated them. She remembered separating him from his medium and the burst of Enderflame that ended her father's life. Anything after that was fuzzy, then blank before Echo was calling her back.

Levi stopped, too, and turned to look at her. His hands crooking toward the single-edged knife tucked into the tight straps at his hip. His face betrayed nothing, but Max knew the message well, even before he said it.

"Shield-maiden Max, I have orders to detain you if you refuse to come with me." His fingers curled around the plain, black-bound hilt; ready to draw and throw at a moment's notice. "Please, come with me."

Max nodded, eyes downcast. This whole situation felt wrong to her. Levi didn't feel like someone who was escorting her to get a bullet – no matter how tainted – out of her. He felt more like . . . her jailer. Like she was going to be detained no matter what the pretenses were. But, why choose Levi? He was just a boy, fresh out of his apprenticeship. Surely Thaddeus, the strongest of the warriors, would have been a better choice! Or Percival who was swift and light on his feet! Did Pi think she would give in to the burning somewhere around her roto-motor and go rogue again? Or, did he think a newly-graduated Plain-warrior be enough to control her?

Levi's hand relaxed at his side, but the fingers were still crooked in the direction of the hilt. He didn't talk to her while they continued in the direction of the Temple of Care and the silence was chilling.

"How soon will Mattimeo be buried?" Max finally asked.

"Tomorrow morning, during practice time." Levi told her. "Meanwhile, your armor will be repaired and your weapons be returned to you . . . once Master Pi has deemed you completely fit to attend in full regalia."

_Deemed me completely fit. There it is. They don't think I'm mentally stable to be carrying weapons or wearing my armor._

Now that she thought about her weapons, she realized she hadn't seen them anywhere. She decided one of the warriors had probably gathered them and had them hidden. Such actions, including the confiscation of her armor, made another question run through her mind. She swallowed before asking it.

"Am I a prisoner?" She asked.

"Only if you refuse to cooperate." Levi said.

Max said nothing. She was cooperating now only because it was her duty to do so. Also, she didn't want to be detained. She knew what it was like to be detained having gone through a training session where she had to try to escape from a prison without the guards noticing she was gone. It wasn't the detaining part that was so bad, it was how a prisoner was kept; shoved in a small room with all the furnishings of a regular bedroom. No bars, locks on the doors. The prison could live in the lap of luxury feeling as though they could come and go as they pleased. At least until they opened the door and saw a warrior standing outside, watching them.

They stopped outside the temple and Levi parted the curtain which led to a small washroom. This was where the surgeons prepared themselves for an operation. There was another curtain which lead to the operating room. This curtain was guarded by a huge, hulking warrior Max identified as Thaddeus.

Levi cleared his throat, gaining her attention, and pointed to the white shift hanging on a nail on the wall.

"Change into that. Leave your breast plate by the door. It will be collected and repaired."

Max nodded and entered, immediately untying the knots and undoing the buckles holding her armor together. As she lifted the breast plate over her head, she stopped and looked at Levi who was still watching her.

"Ni'droi'ik nar-tor, Levi." She said.

"For what?" He asked, his arm lifting barely an inch until his fingers only brushed the edge of the knife hilt.

"For condemning you to the life of a Plain-warrior." Max said.

Levi relaxed, letting his hand drop. "I'll make do." He said.

He waited in the room, watching her as she stripped out of the armor and gi, placing all of them neatly on the bench, except for the breast plate which she laid by the door to be easily collected. After closer examination, Max realized there was a hole in her tunic as well and laid that by her breast plate.

Max slipped the light shift over her shoulders and stepped into the door; surprise on her face when she saw it was Garrett standing there by the small operating table and not Master Pi. He was dressed in a clean, surgeon's smock instead of his armor. The bin located in a corner of the room was full of dirty smocks – leftovers from preparing the body of Mattimeo. It wasn't until a few seconds had passed that Max realized it made perfect sense. Garrett was a master at puzzles. For him to remove the bullet in the maze of circuits was nothing more than a puzzle for him. And she knew he would be gentle.

Garrett didn't say anything to her – she wondered if maybe he had been ordered not to – and, instead, motioned to the table; making it clear with gestures that she was to mount it and lay down. She did as he wordlessly ordered and he laid a blanket across her lower torso to ward off cold. Then, he turned back to the tray of tools he was expected to use before selecting a pair of surgical pliers. He lifted the shift to expose the hole above her access shaft, being ever so gentle about it. But as his pinky suddenly touched the shaft, Max felt panic well up inside her. Within seconds, she was on her side, facing away from Garrett, curled up in a fetal position and shivering; eyes squeezed shut to stop the images coming to mind.

Garrett paused. That move had been so unexpected, Garrett stared at her; pliers still in his hand. He listened, intently, to her. She was saying something and while Garrett didn't understand much English, what she _was_ saying was clear enough.

"Go away. Please go away. Leave me alone."

Garrett swallowed. He _had_ been ordered not to talk to her. These last few days had been difficult for Max and Master Pi had anticipated a mental breakdown. Pi had wanted to start treating Max for PTSD right away. Until then, everyone else was supposed to be background noise. No communication unless necessary – Levi was exempt from this as he was her escort. Garrett had also been ordered to restrain her or turn her off to finish the repairs if she so much as resisted treatment. Technically, she wasn't resisting. She was just a scared little girl with too many dark memories floating through her head.

Garrett was swallowing because he was not only going to break the first order given to him, he was going to turn it into a fine powder.

He put the pliers down and waited. He hadn't meant to hurt her and, in fact, was sure he hadn't. He had barely touched her.

"Do you want me to leave?" He asked her in VulkahR.

She ignored him, sill repeating those three lines over and over again. Garrett realized she was talking about the images playing in her head, not him. He waited some more for her to relax and allow him to continue. But when she did nothing, Garrett knew there was nothing else for it. He whispered a prayer of forgiveness to Pi before sliding in behind Max and wrapping his arms around her; slipping his hands underneath her arms for a better grip around her waist. Max trembled at his touch, but he was barely holding her enough for it to hurt.

"Go away. Please go away. Leave me alone." She whispered again.

"I'm not going anywhere." Garrett said, softly in Vul'kahR. "I'll be right here for as long as you want me to be, T'hai'la."

Max relaxed and Garrett pulled her in tighter. It was true warriors weren't supposed to become attached to anyone and anything. They were born in a factory with only two thoughts programmed in: their name and their first mission – get to the city.

The factory was supposed to be a way to eliminate a sense of family. No parents to hold them back. No attachments to cling to. Just a sense of duty to their current leader and to their Site.

Somehow Max had worked her way in. Although none of the warriors would openly admit it, they were all attached to her in some way. Garrett knew it was because they were like-souls. They had competed in the game of dragons while she was trying to get her belt. Every time he won a level, he would smirk at her when he thought no one was looking. In return, she had scowled and stuck her tongue at out him for good measure. She had seemed so strong, then. Confident, sure of herself, brave. She didn't act like a four-year-old then at all, but a soon-to-be warrior. The future Shield-maiden of Cyberspace. Garrett knew she could do it, too. Now, she looked like a sickly little child. Crying; waiting for the terrors to end. Garrett knew she had been tortured these last few days; scared witless, frightened beyond belief. He also heard she had broken only a few days ago. Yet, here she was, breaking again. Maybe once wasn't enough.

"Garrett!" Thaddeus whispered from the doorway. "What are you doing?"

"I'm waiting for her to open up." Garrett answered.

"Well, you know Master Pi's orders: if she resists, you must restrain her!" Thaddeus reminded him.

"She's not resisting. She's scared." Garrett told him. "I'm waiting."

"If Master Pi catches you -"

"He won't.

Thaddeus shut his mouth for a moment. "Just be quick about it." He snapped as he shut the door.

Garrett snuggled her closer to him; cursing her for making him feel this way, and fearing what would happen if she continued to silently defy him for what must happen. He knew that if she continued to walk on this path of unsteady mentality, Master Pi may be forced to do something no one in the faction wanted to see him do.

Max opened her eyes and sniffed into the soft, flat pillow. Then, she shifted partly onto her back and looked over her shoulder at him.

"Garrett?"

Garrett released her and slipped off the bed. "Ni'droi'ik nar-tor." He said. "Are you prepared to have the bullet removed?"

Max remembered the object lodged in her stomach region and nodded. She laid flat on her back and Garrett lifted the shift again, being very careful not to touch her more than necessary. However, as he dipped the forceps into the hole, Max suddenly went berserk; slapping his hand away until the forceps went flying, then punched him squarely in the jaw. Her dark-brown eyes wild and crazy with fear. Garrett quickly grabbed her wrists before she could hit him again and forced her back onto the bed.

"THADDEUS! THADDEUS! SARLAH GOL-TOR!" _Come help!_

In a flash, Thaddeus was in the room; his hand at the spot directly between Max's neck and shoulder. He applied pressure and she went limp. Thaddeus glared at Garrett, accusingly.

"What happened?" He demanded.

"I swear, I don't know. I just started to take the bullet out and she attacked me." Garrett said, defensively.

"You should've just followed orders and had her sedated to begin with!" Thaddeus said. "She's not stable anymore! She's not the child you care so much for anymore, either! No matter how much you want to pretend she's still the same person, she isn't! Until she is, you have to treat her like a danger to everyone!"

Garrett quailed under Thaddeus' words. But, knowing he can't let the bigger, bulkier warrior bully him, Garrett straight-armed and pointed at the door.

"Just get out and do your job!"

Thaddeus continued to glare at him. "I _was_ doing my job. It's time for you to do yours."

Without saying another word, he left. Garrett let out a trembling breath as he retrieved the forceps from the floor. Max had scared him with her sudden ferocity and he crouched on the floor a moment before deciding it was time to finish what he started.

He reached inside the bed and found the restraints that were only used on patients who were a danger to themselves and to everyone else. Garrett didn't like thinking that way about Max, but it was true. She had just panicked twice and attacked him once. Garrett almost wished he hadn't called Thaddeus. No doubt the older warrior would report this to Master Pi.

Garrett fumbled with the final set of straps, then swiped Max's bangs off her face with one hand; caressing her cheeks, fondly.

"Ni'droi'ik nar-tor, Max. But it is for your own good." He whispered.

0

Master Pi stared at the incoming order that filled his computer screen. His coolant froze when he realized what this could mean to everyone. And he couldn't believe _she_ had even suggested it.

I won't do it! He typed into the chatbox.

You will do it, Erasmus. You have no choice in the matter. She took a life and prepared to take more. The responder said.

But, to even think about doing it – she wasn't in her right mind! How can you even suggest it?

I wasn't suggesting anything. I'm telling you to do it. Max cannot be allowed to continue her role as one of your subordinates in her current state. Therefore, it must be done and you're the only one I trust who can do it, Erasmus.

I can't. I can't force her to live like that – forgetting everything she ever learned from us. It isn't right. I won't make her do it.

She doesn't have a choice in the matter either, Erasmus. None of us do. With her current state of mind, she is a danger to everyone. Would you be responsible for every life she takes?

Yes.

There was a long pause in _her_ response. I don't think you actually mean that, Erasmus. You want to preserve as much life as possible. There is where we are on the same page.

Maybe so . . . but this isn't right.

Erasmus! She sounded exasperated here. I do not like this any more than you do –

I doubt it. Pi said, irritably. He didn't know why this was rattling him so much, only that it was. He knew at this point Max wouldn't want anyone inside her head, as this required him to be.

– Erasmus, do not think of me as the enemy here. I'm only thinking about Max and the rest of Cyberspace. If we had any better options, we could use them. But this is all we have and you have to be the one to do it. She trusts you.

She doesn't trust anyone! Pi spat. She just attacked Garrett even though he was trying to extract a bullet from her system.

A bullet?

Yes. One laced with Magnetite and adrenaline.

He paused, waiting for a response. There was none coming as _she_ was now contemplating what this meant. Pi took that opportunity to convince _her_ otherwise.

It wasn't her fault. He drove her to it the moment he pulled the trigger.

What if it happens again? Suppose someone else is there with her and they turn her into an unmanageable monster, too? We are not all as lucky as you to have warriors and soldiers at our beck and call when dangers arise. Therefore, it must be done. You know this is true, Erasmus. And you know I would never ask you to do this without good reason.

Pi knew, alright. _She_ had nothing but Cyberspace's best interests in mind. That included Max, who _she_ had watched grow up from infancy. But Pi still felt so wrong being asked to do this.

Erasmus. Please. No more protesting. Just do it. It's the only way.

I won't "just do it". I'm going to talk to her about it before I do anything. There is no guarantee she will agree to let me in her head.

You're going to have to get in her head whether she'll let you or not. Erasmus, I'm not giving either of you a choice. Please, don't make this harder than it is.

Very well. It will be done. But I will give her the option to accept –

As I said, Erasmus, I am not giving you a choice –

Let me finish. Pi said. When _she_ protested no further, he continued. I will let her choose between that, or allowing me to take away all memories of what Ledge did.

His conversation companion was silent for the longest time. Finally:

Very well. I can see how that would be a better ultimatum. But, let it be clear that you will be taking _something,_ even if she would refuse.

You saw what she experienced, didn't you? Pi asked.

I did analyze what she allowed me to see. _She_ admitted.

Can you blame her for what's happened?

No. But I can't condone what she might do.

Silence ensued. Then,

Since I have no choice in the matter, I will do what you say. Depending on what she chooses, I will return her to you within a day.

I look forward to it.

As soon as Pi disconnected, he felt a pang of guilt rolling through him. He hated himself and he put his face to his hands.

_What did I just agree to?_

1

Max had spent the last few hours drifting in and out of consciousness; vaguely aware of Garrett working out the bullet from the miles of circuitry and patching the hole. She woke up a few times afterward only to find herself still in the operating room, dressed in the shift, alone.

About the sixth time she came back to wakefulness, she saw Master Pi _sitting_ on a stool, looking at her.

"Master?" Max said, weakly looking at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you." He said, addressing her in English; making her wary as he never held conversations with her in English since she had mastered both Shangrinese dialects.

"Talk to me? About what?" Max asked

She wanted to run her fingers through her hair as she was known for doing when confused or trying to concentrate, only to find her hands and feet were strapped to the table and a belt bolted to the bed encircled her waist. A heavy sheet came between her and cold.

"What the hell! Why am I tied down?"

"It's for your own good, Max." Pi said. "So is what I need to discuss with you." He remained calm in both tone and expression.

"For my own _good_!? Master, what did I do to make you treat me this way?"

"You attacked Garrett for one thing." Pi answered.

Max's pale-blue skin turned an interesting shade of white. "I did? Why? I didn't hurt him, did I?"

"You panicked while he attempted to remove the bullet from your system. Aside from a blow to the jaw, he is fine."

"That's good to hear."

Pi was silent, adding periodic black-outs to his list of diagnoses. They were panic-induced, yes, but he was beginning to understand why _she_ wanted this for Max.

"So, what else did you want to say?" Max prompted.

"You will not like what I need to tell you." Pi told her.

"Okay."

Pi sighed, having no desire to say it. "I'm giving you an ultimatum."

"I don't like the sound of that." Max said.

"I told you so." Pi said. "You have two choices. Choice one: you give up everything – your role as Shield-maiden, your weapons and armor, your knowledge of our arts, names, culture, and language – the whole shebang. Choice two: I erase memories of your ordeal with Ledge."

"How about choice three: none of the above?" Max asked.

"Unfortunately, that isn't an option." Pi said.

"What? Why?" Max went to sit up but the restraints held her back.

"In your current state, you are nothing more than a dangerous, ticking time bomb waiting to go off. You can't be trusted with your Shield-maiden's freedom. Especially with your shape-shifting ability. You just can't control it any more."

"I didn't mean to kill Mattimeo! I swear I didn't!" Max said as tears formed in her eyes.

"I know you didn't. You were forced into it."

"So why are you punishing me? Do you actually blame me for the atrocities I hadn't meant to do?"

"This isn't a punishment. If anything, this will help you."

"But you're still taking something from me!"

"Max, please. I don't want to hurt you. Don't make this harder than it is."

"You're still going to take it all away from me." Max said, choking on her saliva.

"No. That's what option two is for. You'll get to keep everything except for your ordeal with Ledge and the Steel Crucifix. You won't remember dying, or the gates, or your father dying. You won't remember nearly killing us off. It will be as if it never happened."

"And what about Mattimeo? How are you going to explain away his death? What about the scars on my back and sides? What's the story behind those?"

"Training accident for Mattimeo. Maintenance error for you." Pi said.

"You really thought this out, didn't you?" Max said, after a few minutes of sniffing and trying to control her emotions.

"A little."

"News flash: I won't accept!" Max said. "I choose neither! Now let me go!"

"Unfortunately, I can't let you go. Not until I am sure you are no longer dangerous." Pi said. "Also, if you continue not to make a choice, I will be forced to make one for you. Option one has been on the table to begin with and I have no choice but to pick it."

"No choice? No choice! Master,you're giving me two unfair ultimatums! But, in the end, I have no choice but to accept one or the other and you'll still strip me of something? How are you not given a choice?"

"This is out of my hands, Max?"

"How?"

"This was an order from a higher power." Pi said. "I'm sorry, but my hands are tied."

Looking into Pi's eyes, Max could see he really had no choice. He didn't want to do this any more than she wanted him to. To her amazement, she was no longer angry at Pi, but at the "higher power" who was forcing his hand.

"Why? Why would she order this? She might as well execute me! This isn't living – it's death while living! Why this?"

"She cares about you, Max, and has your best interests in mind."

"Yeah right!" Max snapped.

"But she also has the whole of Cyberspace to think about."

"So she doesn't care about what I want? I think and care about Cyberspace, too!"

"I know that. We all do. But, Max, you were turned into a monster today. Someone else pulled the strings and made you do those horrible things. They were playing on the gargoyle's killer instincts and you couldn't control it. What if it happens again? You could decimate an entire Cybersite just because it's there. Someone else could start pulling the strings then, too. Do you really want that?"

"I can control it! I know I can! Please, Master! Don't make me choose!" Max begged.

"Max, you have PTSD. Panic-induced, too. You were physically and emotionally abused. You can't stand people trying to help you now without having some form of mental break-down.

"Garrett told me he barely touched your access panel and you experienced a rash of bad memories. He also said when he went to pull the bullet you, you had cooperated at first but attacked him when he moved the forceps toward your body. In your current state, anything could trigger a violent response.

"We cannot treat you fully for PTSD – we have neither the tools nor the resources to do so – so our only option is to remove the traumatic experience that started it."

"Okay, so just do that." Max said. She was beginning to sound more reasonable now.

"I can do that. But, there is the possibility that some other even could trigger it, too. Some form of stress that will bring it back. In our field, we encounter stress all the time. You just aren't capable of handling it right now."

Max understood. As both a warrior and Marbles' daughter, she was an excellent target. But it still pained her to accept it.

"Make your decision, Max." Pi said.

"Is – is it possible I could gain it all back? All of it, I mean?" Max asked.

"There is that distinct possibility, yes. Perhaps . . . when it does return, you will no longer be a threat to us all."

Max nodded, her lip trembling and she laid her head back. "Just do it."

Pi slipped off the stool and strode to the head of the table. There, he exposed his arm – still tattooed by the transmutation circle – and pressed all five fingers against her forehead. He inhaled and closed his eyes. Max closed hers, too, and the tears flowed openly down her face as she let him in.

0

The sound of a portal opening alerted the visitors and inhabitants of Control Central to the presence of more visitors. Everyone stepped outside the workshop only to find Master Pi, Red, and a few warriors were there, heading to Max's room. One of the warriors carried a sleeping Max in his arms.

"Erasmus? What's going on? The funeral isn't done already, is it?" Marbles asked.

"Change of plans, Matthias. Max cannot attend the funeral." Said Pi.

"Why not?"

Pi didn't answer. Instead, they entered her room and carefully deposited Max on the bed. The warrior carrying her swept the blanket over her body to her chin before touching his fingers to his lips, and pressing them to her cheek. It was then that they all noticed the flowering bruise on his own cheek the size of a fist. Max's fist.

"What happened to your cheek?" Ada asked him.

The warrior said nothing and, instead, joined his comrades who were stripping the walls bare of anything pertaining to Shangri-La. Red sat at her computer and wiped everything he found pertaining to Shangri-La.

"What are you doing? Stop! You can't take those!" Marbles shouted. The broad edge of a sword at his throat stopped him from moving forward.

"Actually, we can, Matthias." Pi said. "Max isn't a warrior anymore."

"What?" The humans said.

"Hang on! This isn't to punish her for what she did today, now is it?" Digit asked.

"No. This is to help her." Pi explained. Then, he turned to Marbles before any protests could be made. "Max had PTSD, a particularly dangerous disease for any one of the warriors. But especially more for a shape-shifter."

"So, you just took hat away from her? All of it?" Marbles snapped.

"Yes." Pi said.

"She won't like this. She's never been one to sit still and do nothing until everything blows over or goes away." Marbles said.

"I know."

"So why would you strip her of that? It's all she ever wanted . . . ever since she was a toddler . . . she wanted nothing more than to serve Cyberspace as a Shield-maiden. Why would you take that away form her?"

"She made her choice. I gave her the choice between this or letting all the memories of Ledge be taken away. She chose this."

"If she chose this, you forced her into it!" Marbles snapped. He was upsetting himself, but he still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that Max would just let him strip her of that. "You can't do this!"

"It's too late, Matthias." Pi said, firmly. "What's done is done! I can't undo it!"

"Yes you can! You just don't want to!" Marbles said, angrily.

"It's not about wanting to, Matthias. I _can't_. I had no choice."

Ada thought about what was being said. "Wait. Erasmus, what else did you take from her?"

"Everything. I only left the basics. Memories of her life before she began her training. I took away all knowledge she had of us, Hacker, and Ledge." He looked at the kids. "I even took away memories of you."

"What? But . . . they're harmless!" Digit shouted.

"But their entire existence in Cyberspace revolves around Hacker. They're here because of Hacker. They know about Cyberspace because Motherboard asked them to be here." Pi swallowed. "And, since they knew her first as a gargoyle, I took that away, too."

"You mean you took away her shape-shifting ability, too?" Marbles said.

Pi nodded.

Suddenly, Pi's back was against he wall. Marbles' fists wrapped tight in Pi's robe. A knife appeared in the small of Marbles' back, but he ignored it.

"Why? That incident was not her fault! Ledge made her do it! You can't blame her for what happened! You said you didn't blame her!"

"Matthias! Let him go!" Ada said.

"Not until he explains himself." Marbles hissed.

"I didn't have a choice." Pi said.

"Yes you did! You didn't have to kill her personality! There had to have been another way!"

"There wasn't." Pi said. "As I said, it wasn't up to me."

"What do you mean?" Marbles demanded.

"What I mean is someone ordered me to do it. My hands were tied. I wasn't given any options.

"Max made her choice, too. This is what she chose. I never forced her to make the decision, but I did explain the procedure fully. She knew what I was going to take away and she agreed to it. But, again, I had no choice but to do it even if she had declined."

Marbles' grip loosened on Pi's robe. "You say you had no choice – that someone ordered you to do it. Who?"

"It was me."

* * *

_One more author's note. as this is the last chapter i will be doing in this story for a while, i want you to know a few things. _

_1, do NOT_ _start badgering me about posting. I will work on the chapters in my own time as soon as i have enough ideas to finish a chapter. _

_2, the shangirese dialects are actually Klingon (KulG'GahR) and Vulcan (Vul'kahR). yes, i found an online English - Klingon dictionary as well as a English - Vulcan dictionary. that's where all the words i've been using came from. especially Vul'kahR as that is predominately the language the warriors use._

_3. When i diagnosed Max with PTSD, i actually had a theory about how it worked in my head. I had studied Psychology in college for a while and pretty much had the disorder all figured out. A couple years ago, i actually purchased a _Mental Health Disorders Handbook _from a library book sale. I was going ot keep it while i studied psychology but since dropping out of the class, i just decided to keep it in case it came in handy. it did. as it turns out, PTSD can happen to anyone at anytime and at any age. it primarily manifests after some traumatic event: violent personal assaults such as rape or mugging, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat. max was physically abused twice by the same person. for her to act out when garrett was trying to help her was proof enough that she has it. there you go. just for future reference.__  
_


	20. Remorse

_Chapter Twenty. I know you guys have been waiting for this chapter. I'm also betting many of you were waiting for Matthias to punch Pi. You won't be disappointed, I promise. Sorry about my hiatus but I really wanted to focus on my other stories. I'm sure some of you will understand when I say my mind has been a little overcrowded with characters from stories I should be focusing on: MewTwo _(Science-Based Mutate), _Max_ (Shield-maiden's Strife),_ H_os_hi _(Tale of the Lost), _and then Lycoris _(Chimera at my Side) _showed up. Max didn't want to share and Hoshi kept fighting with Max. Suddenly, I'm having dreams about the second book of my X-Men-Pokemon crossover that I shouldn't even be thinking about. Anyway, here's chapter twenty. Five more (if not less) chapters should be following suit._

___I don't own Cyberchase or Huntik_._ Max is mine. Echo belongs exclusively to Kawaii Stella and her story Picking up the Broken Glass._

* * *

Chapter Twenty  
Remorse

Half-way across Cyberspace, Lok, Nathan, and the other apprentices were hard at work on a mission. For Lok and Nathan, this was the first mission to be undertaken as new Sword-Thanes. Though, Lok was was less than happy to have to take it. At the moment, he was thoroughly pissed off at Master Pi for a couple of obvious reasons.

Lok's hands tightened on the half-pipe steering wheel and he gritted his teeth in frustration. _Damn that Master Pi!_ He thought. He never thought he'd ever feel so angry as he did right then. He saw the master, Red, Garrett, and a few other warriors leave the Site with Max in tow. Lok's former teacher was unconscious in Garrett's arms and Lok had already heard the rumors that Max's memories had been wiped and her title of Shield-maiden stripped from her.

Lok didn't understand. Why did it have to be done? And why did it have to be done that way? Max wasn't responsible for what happened! Pi said this was supposed to help her, but Lok thought this was more like a punishment than assistance. Nobody deserved that. Least of all, a warrior like Max.

_What'll happen to me now? Lok thought. Max was the whole reason why he became a Thane in the first place. She was the backbone to what he was now. Would her demotion lead to him losing his place among the ranks, too?_

"Lok, are you up to this?" Nathan's hand was hard at his shoulder, drawing his mind back to the present.

"Yeah. Come on, brother." Lok said.

He and Nathan went to the outer banks of the city and chose a two-seater Cybercoop. The coops were kept for emergency travel, only. Thanes and Maidens used them when they needed to get to a site for hardcore problems. Pi gave his five, new warriors permission to leave the site, telling them to look into Ledge's past. The best place to start was Sensible Flatts where Ledge said the Site he was born on.

Lok didn't know what he was expecting to find. Nathan didn't either, for that matter. Warriors weren't prone to questioning their leaders. Lok was certainly questioning his leader now. Nathan must have noticed it, took for the boy stared at Lok through his jade-green goggles.

"Problem, Thane Lok?"

"No." Lok said, remembering Nathan was born in the Bellowing Hills and was much more loyal to Pi than he.

"Let's get back to work then." Nathan said, returning his attention to the task at hand.

Sensible Flatts was a dusty, old, western-style town. Run by twin borgs, Sheriff Judy and Judge Trudy, it had a picture-perfect justice system reserved for only lesser criminals. The twin leaders were more than happy to cooperate with Motherboard and the warriors when necessary.

"What can we help you with, boys?" The judge asked as Lok and Nathan entered the convenience store-style court room.

"You can start by telling us what you know about Ledge Hacker." Lok said, thrusting out his chest so the twin leaders would notice the Thane's seal over his left shoulder.

Both eyed the badge, then locked eyes with the young boys before them.

"We don't know anyone by that name." said the sheriff.

"Fine. He goes by the name of Ledge. What do you know about him?" Lok said, impatiently.

"Oh. _That _boy!" The judge said. "Yeah, we remember him now. Smart kid. Always so helpful."

"That he was, sis. Never had a problem with him. He lost his parents in a fire a few years back and we've been trying to get him adopted, but we just couldn't match him with any families." the sheriff confirmed.

Nathan and Lok shot each other knowing glances. Both could guess that Ledge had no desire to be adopted because he was waiting for the father who would never come back for him.

"What happened to him?" Lok said, returning his gaze to the ruling sisters.

"He vanished." said the sheriff. "Took off in the middle of the night and was never seen or heard from again. Why? Is Ledge in trouble?"

"He's more than in trouble. He's dead." Nathan said, flatly in his broken English.

"Oh my!" Judge Trudy said, covering her mouth with both hands. "Say it ain't so!"

"It is so, Judge." Lok said. "We witnessed his death ourselves. It's good he died. It would've been far worse for him had he not."

"Now, you hush up about that!" Sheriff Judy snapped, harshly. "He's a good kid! How dare you defame his name like that?"

"He ruined his own 'good name', Sheriff." said Nathan. "He murdered Shield-maiden Max."

"He – he didn't. He couldn't have. That's not possible." said Judy.

"It is possible. He admitted it, himself. Took great joy out of saying so, too." Lok said. "Now, do you have any idea where he went when he vanished?"

"Sadly, no. He just disappeared without a trace. Course, this didn't happen too awfully long after Max killed Hacker." said Trudy.

Once again, the two Thanes looked at each other, then back at the twins.

"Thank you for your time. We'll be going now." Nathan said.

As he and Lok turned away and headed for the door, the judge hailed them.

"Wait. How well did either of you know Max?" she asked.

"She was my teacher." Lok said, sadly.

"I am so sorry." said Trudy. "If you see Dr. Marbles, please tell him that we send our condolences."

"Will do." Said Lok. He and Nathan left without another word.

Outside the office, Lok turned to Nathan and addressed him in Vul'kahR. "What do you think?"

Nathan shrugged. "It's difficult to tell. We know Ledge was Hacker's son. We also know he tried to murder Max and the rest of us. Judge Trudy and Sheriff Judy were undeniably surprised by the news that Ledge even attempted to kill anyone. It appears he had somewhat of a different persona than what we're familiar with."

Lok understood that much. What he didn't understand was how Ledge could keep up the facade of being a nice guy? Was it even a facade?

"Let's ask around a little." Nathan suggested.

Lok nodded in agreement and the two Thanes broke up and went around the town, asking anyone they saw if someone knew anything about Ledge. The tows folk had nothing but good things to say about Ledge. Many refused to believe that he was a bad kid capable of killing someone like Max. Others, while they refused to believe the news of Ledge's murderous streak, replied with stinging words like, "If Ledge killed Max, then she must have deserved it. She did murder someone last year."

Lok, still angry that Max had a mind-wipe, had to catch himself before blurting out the incident between Ledge and Max on Shangri-La. that knowledge was unnecessary to know, particularly since Max was supposed to be dead before then. As for Nathan, who had spent little time around the former Shield-maiden, had no problems steering clear of the rogue gargoyle incident he had helped to prevent.

Unhappy that the two Thanes were "bad-mouthing a perfectly good kid like Ledge" Lok and Nathan were asked to leave by Judge Trudy. Lok angrily called them "blind as bats" and "mule-headed wimps", upset they couldn't see the truth. Nathan put a restraining hand on Lok's shoulder before the Seeker could say anything else and bowed to the authority figure.

"As you wish." He said, pulling his partner away.

Lok came away, grumbling darkly about them all not being able to see that Ledge had fooled them all. Nathan sent Lok a silencing glare before explaining that "people refused to see that which isn't under their noses".

"Puh." Lok said, bitterly kicking a stone.

As he and Nathan neared the coop, Nathan checked in with the other teams. So far, Levi and Zeke hadn't found anything except for the statue of Wicked – Lok flinched at her being mentioned in her petrified state – on the Northern Frontier. Solomon reported being directed to Trashiona where sources say Ledge paid a visit. There, Solomon struck gold with the slimy, stunted collector who knew the location of Ledge's last hideout. Solomon suggested they meet on Foresteria to investigate. The others agreed, but did so with great reluctance, knowing Absolem Adair, the traitor, was living there.

About thirty years ago, Absolem took the warrior oath before the whole company of warriors who had taken – or will take – the oath. He was a wise borg, perhaps even wiser than Master Pi and Pi had even once considered promoting Absolem to head of their Site. Absolem was aware of his smarts and lorded it over all the other warriors. Pi called him out and chastised him for being big-headed and Absolem angrily informed Pi he had no business yelling at him because he never shares his power with anyone. Pi gave Absolem the choice to repent but Absolem believed the warrior way was "hampering his style" and he left the warriors for a "better life". Since that time, Absolem had been banished from the warriors until he could repent. So far, Absolem showed no sign of repenting, not that anyone expected him to.

The five ex-apprentices came to rest on Foresteria's outskirts where there were no trees and met by the tree-line. The stared into the forest, unwilling to go in as they were all thinking about the hermit who used to be one of them. Pi had given them permission to use whatever means were necessary to carry out this investigation. Even if it meant running into Absolem.

Lok took in a breath and ventured forth, sending up a Boltflare sphere to light their way. Nathan went in close behind his fellow thane, hands tight on the shafts of his lightning sticks. Levi unsheathed Ves'nekt and Zeke untangled his scythe from his shoulder. Last to enter was Solomon who stayed close behind the bigger ones with his element stave clutched in both hands. The five warriors moved through the forest, ever on the alert for danger. Lok motioned to Solomon, indicating he come closer. The youngest warrior drew near and waited.

"Where is Ledge's hideout?" Lok asked in Vul'kahR.

Solomon pointed and Lok indicated that he lead the way. The five made their way past the trees and through vines until they saw _it_. An exact replica of the Grimm Wreaker.

"I'd say we found it." Lok said.

The others nodded in agreement.

Just then, there was a shout and a lithe cyborg appeared, swinging a polished rod.

1

Everyone stood in shocked silence at this revelation as they stared at the holographic face on the computer screen. It couldn't be, could it?

"Motherboard?" Marbles said. "How – how could you? Why'd you do it?"

Motherboard closed her mismatched eyes, slowly, so she didn't have to see the disappointment on her Chief Technician's face. "Because, Matthias, it had to be done. Max wasn't able to handle it the way she was supposed to. Holding in every negative emotion she feels was doing more harm than good this time. It just wasn't working."

Marbles blinked away the tears. "You do realize you took away everything we encouraged her to be. She wanted to be a warrior, wanted to be a Shield-maiden and we told her to go for it. Did you have a change of circuit board?"

"Matthias, I did not want for this to happen. I had a list of possible choices to make and I chose the lesser of the two evils. This way, she can start anew – unhindered by gory scenes from her past. She can restart where it ended."

"But she's been completely changed!" Marbles said. "She's not the same person anymore!"

"She wasn't the same person you remembered her to be, Matthias. Her ordeal as Hacker's prisoner changed her personality. She was already broken before Ledge kidnapped her. You just didn't see it." Motherboard fixed him with a stare. "In this way, she will be no different than who she was before her life as a warrior began."

"Will she know she's missing something from her past?" Ada asked Master Pi.

Pi nodded. "There will be a hole in her memories where being a Warrior had been."

"That's not a hole! That's a crater!" Digit said.

"Indeed it is." Matthias said. He glared at Master Pi. "I think you abused your authority over her one time too many, Erasmus."

"I never abused my authority. Max understood why it had to be done and how. She accepted it whether she wanted to or not. I did not force her. I gave her an option and she chose this one." Pi said.

"And I did not give Master Pi any choice in the matter." Motherboard said. "Matthias, I love Max just as much as you do. I watched her grow up. I did not like that she had turned into someone who cannot accept the things from her past, but these things happen.

"These memories will soon return. When they do, she will be better capable of accepting these atrocities. And, so will everyone else."

Silence followed. Everyone was now regarding the ex-warrior curled up on the bed. Ada sat down by Max's back and wrapped her gently in her arms. Marbles instinctively wanted to stop Ada from waking her, but Max did not move.

"She is no longer a light-sleeper." Ada said, softly. "Remember, Matthias? She developed that during training."

"Aye. So she did." Marbles said. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, feeling as though the girl in the room was not the daughter he had designed all those years ago.

"Now that you know that it was Motherboard's plan to heal Max from her internal wounds, am I forgiven?" Master Pi asked holding out a hand to Marbles.

Marbles considered what was being said for only a few minutes. Then did what was least expected of him. His arm extended and his fist collided with Pi's face. Pi fell backward against the wall and was suddenly surrounded by his warriors who were aiming swords and long daggers at Marbles. But Marbles was beyond caring.

"No, wait!" Pi said. The warriors lowered their weapons as Pi stood up and stepped toward Marbles. "I understand why that was done. You are still angry that I was the one who took her memories away. However, I promise you this, they will return."

Marbles rubbed his knuckles which had cracked under the considerable force and weight he put into them. "That felt good." He said. "Erasmus, I know and understand why you did it. As to her memories returning, until then . . . she won't be the same."

"She's not the same." Echo said, suddenly. She had been standing and fuming in silence since finding out that her memories had been removed. "That's not Max. That's someone else. The Max I came to know would've given up something she cared about just because of a vile boy and an evil man. The Max I know is dead."

Without waiting for a response, Echo ran out of the room, looking for a place to hide so they wouldn't be able to see how upset she was.

"Echo!" Ada said.

She glanced at Marbles and exchanged a shrug with him before hurrying out of the room after the red-headed human.

"I was afraid this would happen." Pi said, folding his arms inside his robe sleeves. "I didn't expect for you to understand what I did any why I did it." His dark eyes locked onto Marbles' golden ones. "The girl you knew was gone. She wasn't the same after Hacker had her way with her and only got worse when Ledge ultimately killed her. She was trying to hide it from you – all of you – but it became too much for her to bear.

"She wanted you to think she was okay. Even if you offered to listen to her time and time again – as I have and as I'm sure Motherboard had – she wouldn't unload her garbage on you. Instead, she put on a brave face and muddled through the day; pretending the demons of her past didn't exist.

"These demons will return, Marbles. I only suppressed them, I didn't take them completely away. I put several blocks around the bad memories and reformatted others. She will grow back into herself again. Just be patient about it."

"Somehow, I don't think it was that simple." Inez said.

"What do you mean?" Digit asked.

"Well, considering that everyone keeps saying Max had PTSD, we have to assume she didn't trust anyone. After all that emotional turmoil, anything could be a trigger." Inez added. "Including those trying to help her."

Pi nodded to the warrior with a bruise on his face. "Yes. He was trying to remove a bullet when she attacked him."

"That only rouses another question. I'm surprised she didn't freak out when you tried to remove those painful memories." Jackie said.

Pi sighed. "Actually . . . she did." Everyone gasped. "About half-way through the procedure, she changed her mind and started trying to lock me out. I was more afraid of her hurting herself than me and placed her in deep sleepmode."

"I've heard enough." Marbles said. He went to Max and peeled the blanket back before picking her up. "I don't trust your Alchemy anymore, Erasmus. So far, you've only used it against her."

"What do you plan to do, Matthias?" Motherboard asked.

"I'm going to run a brain scan. There's no telling how much damage was done during this whole ordeal." Marbles answered. "Oh, and Erasmus, you are not welcome to be around my daughter."

Pi blinked. "You would deny her the right to take back the sash of a Shield-maiden?"

"For now. If she really wants it back, I'll leave that up to her. But until she has completely come back, I don't want you coming around here anymore. Got it?"

Pi bowed. "I understand, Matthias. I am not welcome in your presence anymore. I shall leave." He reached deep into his robes and removed a small puzzle box. "This is for Max. I think she'll find some use out of it."

"What is it?" Matt asked.

"Mattimeo's core." Pi answered. "She'll know Mattimeo . . . I left memories of him mostly intact. Tell her, when she awakens, that I left it for her to remember him by."

He placed the puzzle box on the table. Marbles eyed it.

"I'll think about it." Marbles said, roughly.

"As you wish." Pi said, bowing again.

With an order in Shangrinese, he and the warriors left in a Portal. After that one vanished, a new one appeared.

"You should probably leave, too, kids." Motherboard said. "Max doesn't know who you are, right now. You're not welcome in Cyberspace for the time being. I will call you when it's time to reintroduce you."

0

Echo curled up in the dark compartment, glad for the space big enough to house her normally small body. She rested her arms over her knees and buried her face into them; ignoring Ada's voice shouting her name.

"Echo!"

She didn't know why Ada was trying to find her. Shouldn't she be tending to Max? The name cut through her thoughts and Echo realized she could no longer think of that cyborg as the girl who had closed some of the wounds received over the years. That Max was dead. The cyborg laying in Max's room on Max's bed was not Max, but an empty shell. The remains of a cowardly individual who couldn't stand seeing the horrible things in her past.

"Echo!"

She curled herself up into a tighter ball, hoping Ada wouldn't think to look in the compartment where she was currently hiding. She wanted to brood alone in silence. Unfortunately, some forces were working against her as a new voice caught her attention.

"Echo, please come out of there."

Echo sighed with disgust, wondering how she had been found in the narrow cubbyhole. She opened the door and crawled out, looking up into the concerned face of Motherboard. Echo realized with a jolt that she had hidden in one of the towers that made up her mainframe. _That explains the miles of circuitry under there._ She thought. She finished crawling out the rest of the way, stood up, and dusted herself off.

"I'm sorry." She said.

"Look, I know you're angry about the choices made by Max today. But you have to understand why it had to be done. I would've preferred to avoid that terrible decision but it had to be made. You were there on Shangri-La when Max went rampant. You saw what she was like in her rogue state. If that isn't enough to convince you, I don't know what it'll be."

"It isn't that." Echo said, looking away.

"Then, what is it?" Motherboard asked.

"Ever since I came to this world, Max had been nothing but the saving grace I was looking for." Echo said. She glanced over her shoulder at the leader of Cyberspace, wondering if both Motherboards she knew were even alike. "I've been broken many times, Motherboard. Every time I found someone who understood me, they always lied to me or kept something from me. Max wasn't like that. She was so open and honest with me. She didn't hide anything. The fact I could be open with her was so healing to me."

"I see. Master Pi had already made it clear both of you are alike in many ways. I didn't figure on you being alike in that way." Motherboard said. "Max was broken, too, although she never let on that she was. She was strong in that way, laughing and joking with the others just to hide what she was feeling."

"Yes, I know. I looked up to her in that respect. She . . . she was able to hold in that much pain and suffering. The day I brought her back, I saw her break and I knew it was time. I only wished I could've broken like she had. I only wished I could've been like her and let everything go. But, it's like, the scars of my past continue to remind me that I can trust no one."

"You trusted Max." Motherboard said.

Echo's vivid-green eyes flashed, furiously. "Yes. I trusted her. I loved how she was able to hold everything in the same way I could. How she was able to fall back on her father and her friend if she needed them. I envied her. I wished I could do the same. I wished I had somebody who cared for me as much as Dr. Marbles and Digit did for Max. It's because of them she could make it through the day . . . and the night."

"Now you hate her."

Echo hated how Motherboard seemed so able to read her right now. But, as of this moment, her anger and frustration was now focused on Max.

"Yes. Yes I hate her. I hate how she suddenly gave all that up. She was a coward and gave up everything that bothered her. She was able to stand it all this time and she suddenly couldn't take it anymore. I hate her!"

Motherboard stared at her, the quivering little human girl who was so angry, she was crying. Motherboard let her cry for only a moment, unsure of what to say. Then,

"Would you have been able to stand it? Holding in all that pain experienced in your lifetime. Would you have been able to handle being revisited by the phantoms in your nightmares . . . in your past?"

Echo wiped her eyes off on the back of her hand. "No. I don't suppose I would have." She said.

"Then do you understand why I asked Master Pi to do it? I was not punishing Max for something someone else made her do. I wanted to help her. To heal her. And, this is the only way she could've healed. Slowly reliving her past and fully understanding it happened but won't happen again."

Echo let out a few shaky breaths. She did understand. Though, she still thought Max had been a coward just for letting Pi take all that away from her. Wouldn't it just have been easier for her to take a hiatus from this world? An idea crossed Echo's mind and she smiled.

"Motherboard, I have a request." Echo said.

"Very well. Ask away." Motherboard said, calmly.

"Would it be okay if I took Max to my Cyberspace with me?" Echo asked. "To get her away from here would help her, don't you think?"

Motherboard was silent for a moment. Then, "I do not think that is a wise choice, Echo."

"Why not?"

"Is there a Hacker in your world? Is there a Ledge there, too?"

Echo nodded.

"Then Max visiting your world would do more harm than good."

"But-"

"Let me explain. I did order Master Pi to erase moments of her traumatic past, that much is true. But we want those memories to come back in their own time at their own speed. Perhaps, once they have all returned, she will be ready to accept them."

"What's to stop her from going crazy again?" Echo asked. "You say these last events caused her to develop PTSD. What will happen if she develops it again?"

"She won't. These memories from her pain at both Hacker and Ledge's hands will come slowly. Slowly enough for her to accept that they did happen but they won't happen again."

"What if it does?"

"Then, let us pray it doesn't."

"In that case, Motherboard, I have a second request." Echo said.

"Very well. I am prepared to hear it." Motherboard said.

"I want to remain here for a while. Master Pi said he allowed Max to keep memories of me. I'm sure my presence here won't spark anything bad. I just want to be here while she tries to find herself again. I want to be here as a wall for her to lean on when she needs me. Will you permit me?"

Motherboard remained silent for a long time, plugging in variables. "Of course I will allow you to stay, Echo. Max could, indeed, use you. And so could we."

"Thank you." said Echo. "I'm sure that if I'm absent from my world for a while, my new father would understand that it was for a friend."

"If he's anything like Matthias, I'm sure he would."

1

To say Matthias only ran a brain scan on Max would have been a huge understatement. Not only had he run a brain scan, he ran every mental test he could think of not just once, but as many as four times. He tried convincing himself that he was looking for something, anything, that would indicate a problem after Pi had forced his way in. But, deep down, he knew the truth. He knew he was looking for something that would make him feel justified in kicking Pi out of their lives.

He sat down on the stool, exhausted; staring at the multitude of results from the numerous scans. Nothing. Her brain looked perfect. And Marbles couldn't help but feel incredibly upset with himself for acting so rashly. Pi had been a friend to him for a long time, but none of Max's pain and suffering would've happened if Pi hadn't allowed her to join the warriors. If Ada, Motherboard, and himself hadn't supported her.

_We're equally to blame for this. Marbles thought, stroking Max's cheek. I hope your journey to find yourself again won't be as painful as getting where you were before this._

_No. It's really all my fault. If it weren't for me being impatient, Hacker wouldn't have been created and Max never would've had to suffer for nine years. If it weren't for Hacker, Ledge would not have been made and Max would not have seen death before her time. It's because of me that she's suffered so. _Marbles wiped his eyes off on his sleeve, then picked Max up in both arms. _I'm sorry, Max. I'm sorry for everything._

As he carried Max away, he tried to imagine would it would be like for her to have to relive everything. What her journey would be like in the rediscovery of herself. Would she be frightened? Confused? Would her memories coming back only make things worse? Worse, would she hate him, her father, for being the powder that started the fire that lead to her misery?

Marbles laid Max out on the bed and covered her in the heavy quilt; brushing her short hair back with only a finger. He was amazed by how deeply she was sleeping now. The slightest touch or sound used to be enough to awaken her from even the deepest REM sleep. He almost wished she could stay like this forever, so that way her path to rediscovering herself would be painless.

Rising, Marbles snatched the puzzlebox off the bedside table and left the room with it. He wouldn't give it to Max just yet. Nor would he give her his notes on borg-making just yet either. Not until it was time.

**To Be Continued . . . **

* * *

_Look, I know i promised that this would be the final installment of my Evil Within Saga, but i really feel like I need to add to the saga. What's going to follow has nothing to do with Shield-Maiden's Strife. Instead, this new installment will be called "A Lost Memory" and will still be a Cyberchase-Huntik crossover featuring Echo Glasgow. Keep an eye out for it. You won't be disappointed._


End file.
